Hiroshi Sugimoto

By Robert Amos October 1, 2004

} Hiroshi Sugimoto By Robert Amos Hiroshi Sugimoto is an artist of considerable talent. In Japan he has made a career as a painter of murals and ceilings in temples, creating works of powerful effect on a monumental scale. With the assistance of the Japanese government, and at considerable personal expense, he has bought a large exhibition of his portable paintings, especially for a show at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1040 Moss Street, 384-4101, until November 21). Hiroshi Sugimoto, ink and metal powders on Japanese paper. Why Victoria, when numerous American and Italian galleries are courting him? Because Victoria’s interest in Japanese art is well known, even in Japan. And because our Gallery’s openness, responsiveness and sincerity had impressed Sugimoto on the previous visits he made to Victoria for reconnaissance and negotiation. Sugimoto was born in 1951 and lives on the edge of Tokyo. After graduating from university in Tokyo, he came to realize that no one was training to create new work for the temples. He then began his apprenticeship in the studio of famed artist Kato Toichi,. Since becoming a master in his own right, Sugimoto has created sets of four-part sliding doors, backdrops for Noh theatres and multipanelled ceiling paintings on wood. Such paintings are expected to last for centuries and must harmonize with the treasures already in place. It’s exacting work and must meet - or exceed - extraordinary artistic standards. To judge by the work he has brought to Canada, Sugimoto is more than capable. This Victoria show fills two rooms with huge works on paper, golden folding screens and exquisite little fan paintings. The subject matter reflects his love for ancient architecture and includes scenes from Japan (the Byodo-in), China (Suzhou), Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Myanmar (Pagan) - and Italian hill towns! Surrounding one in the gallery, the tones of his work are warm with a tender glow. Sugimoto’s unique technique was a mystery to me until the artist led me on a tour of the show. Typically he begins with heavy Japanese paper - Echizen washi, to be precise. When even the largest sheet is not enough he pastes several together. Next, he may build up the design using cut-out shapes of other papers, chosen for their various natural tones of cream and buff. Sometimes he dyes these papers with ink to achieve subtle greys, and in places he has pasted down passages of block-printed papers. Here and there the drawing is underlaid with gold and silver foil. On this variegated ground he then deploys his talent with ink and brush., The artist is a master of design using light and shadow - chiaroscuro. His brushwork is perfectly capable of crisp obsessively detaily rendering, showing every stone and roof tile. He then leads us into the suggestive realms of a softer rendering as his images fade to mist and mystery. Sugimoto seems to take particular pleasure in depicting weathered wood and stone, or the crumbling stucco of an ancient wall. Beyond the ink and papers, Sugimoto shows his mastery of metallic foil and powders. Red gold, yellow gold, green gold, silver and bronze are all discretely worked into the imagery. Never garish, the metals impart an aged appearance appropriate to his subject and mood. These components are often sublimated beneath a tissue of superfine, almost transparent paper pasted over the entire image surface. Sugimoto is a master of paper pasting - in fact, he brought much of this show rolled into a bundle under his arm. He then stretched the large paintings in the gallery. Considering the richly coloured effect, it may be a surprise to realize that Sugimoto’s large works are not painted but are drawn entirely with black ink. In Japan his pictures are typically displayed in much lower light levels. To best appreciate the reflected effect of the metallic components I often found myself on my knees. Prolonged study of this artist’s work is time well spent. Sugimoto’s generosity goes on. Accompanying him on this trip is Mr. Nakasho Noubo, a leading Noh theatre actor, who presented two days of workshops and performance for a rapt Victoria audience. Culture is not just about looking at pictures. Numerous masks and Noh theatre costumes, some of which belong to the Gallery’s collection, were brought to life by Nakasho in an unforgettable demonstration. Visit Hiroshi Sugimoto's website -------------------------------------------------------- My sincere thanks for this unique initiative must go to the artists, the Gallery, the Japanese government and Victoria’s Michiko Warkentyne whose able translation made my understanding of this event possible. ___________________________________________ Copyright © 2004Robert Amos Robert Amos is an artist and art writer who lives in Victoria, B.C.. He can be contacted by e-mail and you can view his paintings at www.robertamos.com

• Posted: 2004-10-01