It is not often one goes into a brand spanking new shopping centre (actually it is in the highest building in Japan as one understands) and sees such a performance with many of the community participating as evidenced in the photograph above with Sadaharu Horio in Osaka.
During the course of the afternoon Horio's performance (from about 2pm to 6pm) there were many shoppers who stopped, stood, looked and in some cases participated in the painting of coloured dots all over the papered cubic area, which was great to see as they may have never engaged in a live art performance before.
During the course of the afternoon Horio's performance (from about 2pm to 6pm) there were many shoppers who stopped, stood, looked and in some cases participated in the painting of coloured dots all over the papered cubic area, which was great to see as they may have never engaged in a live art performance before.
This kind of performance by Horio is important for it maintains that most critical relationship with the everyday day visual arts spectator, whether the audience member is a serious arts viewer or occasionally visits such events, it does not matter, what matters is that the artist is out there in their terrain and understanding what is happening in that environment.
Therefore when the artist works in the public space they can partially understand the mood of the societal memory, then translate those sensations into further art performances, whether they create artworks with political, cultural or wabi sabi themes is up to them but at least it tends to make the art current.
Therefore when the artist works in the public space they can partially understand the mood of the societal memory, then translate those sensations into further art performances, whether they create artworks with political, cultural or wabi sabi themes is up to them but at least it tends to make the art current.
Horio seems to involve as many people as he can from the community, its great to see and at times mesmerising, he is a very rare artist indeed, he is not locked away, he stands with the people. For example, many a time whilst walking through the subway in Kobe, I have come across Horio's co workers water colour art group exhibition from the shipping industry where he worked at in Kobe and there somewhere amongst this show is this most unusual art piece by him it always brings a smile to my face.
Horio's Osaka performance was a clever for he had managed to use the creativity of the audience (young and old) integrated with this very appealing randomness in the way the audience just participated in painting around Horio's designated squares of no contact and just leaving dotty traces of paint and at times more youthful scrawled paint marks, thus revealing that randomness and control as an idea in painting can present very interesting outcomes.
Back to Horio's performance in the shopping centre for it was fantastic to see to such an art space within this modern shopping complex, presenting spontaneous public art at its best, a great idea and visionary for the organisers and one surely hopes that it continues into the future.
Back to Horio's performance in the shopping centre for it was fantastic to see to such an art space within this modern shopping complex, presenting spontaneous public art at its best, a great idea and visionary for the organisers and one surely hopes that it continues into the future.
