Yasuaki Onishi
I find it fascinating how a balanced combination of nature and something artificial such as glue has such a capacity to create a meditative environment.
It is interesting how many contrasting elements have been included into this work:
crystalized urea compounds and hot glue, tree branches and chemical substances, real-world/gallery space and his imaginary world.
Vertical Emptiness, 2014
His work gave me a sense of how to balance on this fine line between natural and artificial, which is partially what I am trying to explore.
His work helped me realize that when exploring that line that connects our sense of reality and the feeling of being confused or disorientated can actually be reached not just via making visuals more and more elaborate but quite realistic, but actually making them less real but based on familiar reality. I feel that the silhouettes of trees in his work are so imperative as they bear resemblance to our normal familiar environment, but exist in such a striking form that their state can not but mesmerize and make you wonder. Nevertheless, I feel that my installation needs to provoke something a bit less balanced, more perplexing. As a result I decided to step away from the idea of keeping jungle/forest the wat they are, but just leaving a feel of their presence conveyed in a new form.
Eva Hesse
“Eva Hesse’s Influence Today? Conversations with Three Contemporary Artists”
For the Trees, 2008
radiograph on polyester film installation of large-scale drawings of trees using text as line on clear film
I found that approach of positioning pieces of film differently as well as using each piece as it were a tree in itself very interesting. I thought that in order to create that aura of being out of place, I could incorporate that alienating forest by either printing an edited tree on each separate piece or projecting an image on each piece of canvas attached too the ceiling and positioned differently.
Ennead, 1996
When I was reading about Eva Hesse I stumbled upon this work of hers, I was fascinated by how she utilized and transformed space by attaching those 9 threads to the wall as well as making their state more chaotic as they are not within their own frames/canvas anymore, making it a part of the artwork itself, alongside giving space that characteristic of affecting her art.
Being inspired by Eva Hesse’s practice, at first I tried to utilize the space I chose as a studio for the installation.
But projecting literally onto the space did not fit the concept, as it destroyed the alienation, making it more of an immersing and embracing experience.
Subsequently, It became clear that the space is alien to the installation which made sense, so by adjusting the space, I could create the right environment which would be more artificial and less human.
"Untitled" 