KISHIO SUGA “Not Being Present, Not Being Absent”

We are pleased to present “Not Being Present, Not Being Absent,” a solo exhibition of works by artist Kishio Suga, a leading figure of Postwar Japanese art and a central member of the Mono-ha art movement that took place from the late 1960s to the 1970s.

While Suga has actively held exhibitions every year, his interests differ on each occasion with intentions “not to do the same thing.” In the works introduced in this exhibition, he focuses on the concept of “not being present, not being absent,” and the notion that “things are impermanent and in a state of flux.” Presented are a selection of the artist’s latest three-dimensional works installed on the wall.

The world is indeed far more endless, yet it is not possible to see it without perceiving it. Suga instills us with a fundamental awareness for the aspects we tend to overlook, and continues to question and explore the world through means of art.

Suga has written the following statement in correspondence to the exhibition:

“Not Being Present, Not Being Absent”
If some thing is there, it comes into view regardless of whether one is particularly aware of it or not. Any consideration for using what one has caught sight of for some purpose or another would indeed necessitate further investigation. Should one determine that it could be of use, one may take it in hand and observe or gaze upon it from various directions and angles. That is, to confirm whether or not it could be used for the purpose one envisions. As long as it is a substantial entity, the existence and reality of the “thing” itself comes to the fore of one’s thoughts and contemplations. Under such circumstances, one leaves the thing close at hand for the time being until one discerns a possibility for its use. One waits until it rests naturally within one’s consciousness. One may forget the existence of the thing while waiting, or the reality that one requires may perhaps become lost over time. Such is the nature of things. That is why one must always assume a “state of absence,” and for this reason it is necessary to determine the peripherals by which the thing is supported. However, no matter the circumstances, one must not fixate on the thing itself. Things are always within a passage of time that is different from human perception. Things do not correspond to people, but correspond to realms of presence and absence.

Kishio SUGA
http://tomiokoyamagallery.com/artists/kishio-suga/