Takehiro Terabayashi - Yoshimi Arts - Osaka - Japan

Painting by Takehiro Terabayash

Often one gets sick of trying to justify painting or painters and why they do, its a really silly question for people to ask in some ways, for it's a natural as breathing is and its just something the artist has to do to keep alive. 

Currently, on show at Yoshimi Arts in Insight 10 exhibition there is a smallish painting by Takehiro Terabayashi, it reminds me of the British Kitchen Sink School (see link below) that portrayed the working class aesthetic of their time, but this is Japan and I have no idea of what Takehiro's social points of view are but his painting does hit ones nervous system with a strange and quirky sensation.

In the above painting by Terabayashi  portraying a door handle appears not to painted with any mystery resonating from it  but curiously one is still attracted to it, why is not always answerable but to accept ones fait accompli to the seduction of the image may well be the answer and just gaze let then let one's realisations surface into consciousness

Therefore when viewing Terabayashi's seemingly unattractive door handle motif, painted in greyish silver hues, that reflects the dull imagery the office or domestic surrounds, that is placed upon a terre-verte green door, next to a tedious grey wall, which seems it could be understood in an instant of a glance, but this is were the painting becomes interesting through analysis of ones sensation.

 For example in observing the painting by Terabayashi one thought that arises is will the painting remain this way till the end of  days, as it seems to resonate that type of sensation and the obvious answer is no! Flux and time shift memories of things. 

The philosopher Heraclitus tends to bring an interesting idea into Terabayashi's painting, being the phrase  "Nothing endures but change.", therefore in gazing at his image, one starts to realize that in placing the oil traces on the canvas, the motif through time and flux it has already shifted from its origins and will continue to change well into the future. And how Terabayashi understood the motif at the beginning of the canvas to the end, may well of moved on, even  as I have in writing about his painting, new issues about the images long term survival have surfaced which reinforces the idea, that nothing stays still.

How one's memory reads Terabayashi's painting will be interesting and ongoing which means your alive, so if your in Osaka do go to Yoshimi Arts and enjoy this artwork and the rest of the exhibits.

Introduction

Domestic Tsunami Aesthetic
painting by Ozgaka

  

Since 3/11 in Japan ones life has been a little different and the ongoing experience of residing in Nippon maintains a kind of strange daily ambiance in a sense its like holding ones breath to see what might happen next, but nonetheless its a great place to paint and create art.

The Museums in Japan are amazing in how they present the many wonderful exhibitions from around the world, its truly impressive by any earthly standard and what an artist can learn from to use within ones praxis in painting is never ending.

For example; on any day just there is something worthwhile going to see close by within the Kansai area. For instance, just last weekend it was off to see the National Museum of Modern Art in Osaka with its  magnificent collection  from the local museums put together as a schematic overview of what was available to see within the terrains of middle Japan and it was savvy.

But beyond the museums there is the daily praxis to be seen from the many artists residing in Japan and whether they be Japanese nationals or Gaigins like myself, it doesn't not matter for the passion in creating artworks here is just the same. The one things Japan does have is a strong representative multi cultural art scene and its not an industry but various nationalities from around the globe, who come here to learn from Nippon's long and very sophisticated aesthetic histories that can be witnessed in the many museums and galleries.

And in some ways like English Art critic John Ruskin, ones point of on aesthetics in fine art is somewhat similar, being  a true believer in the natural beauty of nature's public surfaces and to use these observations in praxis in creating something truly idiosyncratic from faculties on ones imagination in painting is the journey taken.

So in writing this current blog, that will hopefully present some kind of protagonist point of view on the idea of beauty in painting/drawing and how it is presented as an artwork. For memory in painting is the engine room of all praxis, all other functions that create traces, illuminated by light artificial and natural on canvas or paper stem from the aforementioned aesthetic function.

So as the blog gets published please enjoy

Kind regards

Ozgaka