kazuhiro nomura, "wie oft isst eva den apfel ?"


nov.10 - dec. 22, 2001
taguchi fine art, ltd.























"Words and Meaning", "Art, System and Society", "Whole and Parts"

Born in Kochi prefecture in 1958, Kazuhiro Nomura now resides in Kanagawa prefecture. After parting his PHD course at the Tokyo University of Arts in 1988, he moved to Germany as DAAD exchange student. Having graduated from Dusseldorf Art Academy in 1990, he returns to Japan in 1993.
He has been dealing with themes such as "Words and Meaning", "Art, System and Society", "Whole and Parts" and have been presenting works such as drawing, painting, performance, and installation that are free of categories, since he was still attending Tokyo University of Arts.



"Tree of Life" composed of 621 infinitely small points (dots)

This particular exhibition concentrates on the artist's serial work, which he started in 1989, in his Germany days, and is still at progress. On a white background canvas, a "Tree of Life' is drawn using 621 points (dots) composed of five different colors - red, black, yellow, orange and green. (All the points are barely visible in sizes, painted with unimaginable concentration.)
The shape of the tree is based on a Kitsch Object that the artist found on a windowsill of a Turkish immigrant during his stay in Germany. The Object was in a shape of a tree bearing 6 fruits, and there were three different variations, which were Tomatoes, Lemons, and Oranges. One day, the artist got a hold of these three Kitsch Object, and created a unique imaginary tree by replacing the fruits, so that one tree bore two of the each fruit. (His taking a ready-made product, and converting them into something not of the ordinary is one type of work that the artist has been working on since his Tokyo University of Arts days.)
When Nomura considered what should be drawn for the project, he found out this imaginary tree in front of him.



Goal to create 500 Pieces

In this series, the number of points and its shape is the same between all pieces, remaining constant. (Number of points used from each color is represented on the bottom of the canvas using the same method, by each color points.) The only difference lies in that the placement of each color scheme varies following a rule, which the artist has created himself. Although the number of variations possible is almost infinite, the artist has set the number 500 as a goal for this series, and so far has created 370 pieces.
This series of title-less works is recognized only by its order number, and exists in three different mediums, the wall, tracing paper, and the canvas. In this exhibition, we will be presenting the canvas pieces.



Antithesis towards Art as an Information

As this work is composed of very small points, if the observer is standing at a certain distance, or loses their concentration, the shape drawn on the canvas is completely erased by its white background. Rich colors of this particular work will only stand out when we get rid of our passiveness, and consciously stare into the work. We are living in a time period, where even art work can be taken in as a picture file to be exchanged over the internet, or recognized simply as a piece of information. By denying a duplication with the use of photography or prints, this work clearly shows us that artworks are not to be taken as a piece of information, but it is something where the original work must be seen using the naked eye.



A new Development

Nomura's groups of work using these small points have had its presentations after his return to Japan, but in this exhibition, new developments can be seen. His work from the past have always been based on a white background, but for the first time he has released works that are based on a "red" background. "To place one color on a canvas is to place another, its complementary color to its side" is the words of one artist from the Impressionist School. In the red background, not only do red points disappear, other four colors show us something completely different and complex in their appearance.



A "Part" realized with the "Whole", and the "Whole" that can only be expressed using "Part"

By introducing a new group of work based on a red background, a new category, which is the "Difference in Background Color" is added to the "Whole" of the series, together with the "Difference in Supporting Body" such as the wall, paper, and a canvas. When all the work was being presented in a white background, although there was an understanding that the series was being composed of groups of work differing in its "Supporting Body", the possibility of another type of work with a different background color could not have been imagined. After a group of work using a red background was introduced to the series, for the first time, a possibility of other groups of work with a different background, such as yellow or green existing can be imagined. Furthermore, it brings out the possibility of existence of other categories other than the "supporting body" and "background color", creating the possibility of other various "Parts". In that sense, it is clear that the total piece number of 500 set by Nomura is only a number, which decides how many pieces will actually be materialized, but the "Whole" in which Nomura is attempting to create is grander beyond our imagination, being composed of many various "Parts"



Whether you are someone who have known Nomura's work, or are meeting them for the first time, we believe this exhibition will truly give you a new insight into the rich variation and depth of his work.



checklist of the installation
1. 1-340, 1989-, acrylic on canvas
2. 1-341, 1989-, acrylic on canvas
3. 1-345, 1989-, acrylic on canvas
4. 1-378, 1989-, acrylic on canvas
5. 1-379, 1989-, acrylic on canvas