The
Of Th

Sadashi Inuzuka. “The Nature of
Things.” An installation of 600
ceramic objects from Oct19-Nov
20 at the Richmond Art Gallery

A little like seeing shapes in
clouds. Something seems familiar,
reminds me of... the telephone
shower that fascinated me in my
childhood bathtub, some part of a
kitchen strainer or grater, without
the kitchen association. Function
unknown, all you get is the
first impression .

Primitive, the first recognizable
life forms. Like trilobites; tough,
simple creatures before the diversi-
ty boom. Before jungle, before
coral reef. Proceeding modern day
starfish /stingray / turnip / penis /
wasp nest / roach hotel / tele-
phone chord.

The relationships between indi-
viduals. The conceptual wavering
between forest and a bunch of
trees. Inuzuka writes he was trying
for 600 forms, not all of which
were present that day, but enough
to get across the idea,of diversity.
Through the spacing of individual
forms approximatly two feet apart
on an invisible grid formation, the
group becomes a whole. Motifs are
repeated through out the forms.
Variations on a theme, the most
noticeable difference being the
rounded forms versus the long
forms. | find the former more
interesting and more complex. The
long forms seem to have a yearn-
ing; they reach towards something,
and through sheer will power
develop strong enough internal
structures to allow them to stand
up, or swim away. The rounded
forms on the other hand refer back
to internal complexities , mandela-"
like. So much more than
bilateral symmetry.

The lighting sporatically spot-
lights a few forms throughout the
room, adding a dynamic to the
stasis created by the even spacing
of pieces of a similar size. The
spotlighting creates an affect akin
to winning a lottery; the form is
highlighted not because of excep-
tional merit, instead it becomes a
representative of every man /every
form. The experience is that of
being individual while sharing the
common characteristics of
the mass.

One method of viewing the
exhibit is to walk around and
encounter each form separately. It
only seems fair to do so, and in
the process inevitable comparisons
are made. Recognising the primary
nature of the form’s design, we get
an inkling of the origin of pretty
and plain. Look at the one full of
holes with darks shadows of mys-
terious depth surrounded by radi-
ating appendages. Regard its
neighboring co-lifer, a solid and
stalwart form, edges a little rough,
surface undifferentiated. Mystery
must be pretty because this second
one tells us the plain truth about
itself (comes in ridged or bumpy).

ature

Some of the things are scary.
Too many holes - what multitudes
could lurk beneath? The trumpet
protrusion with one hole in the
middle gives me a heartless
appraisal. To it, I exist as one of
two possibilities, danger or meat.

Edible. The things you can do
with mashed potatoes: make regu-
lar ridges similar to those found in
all excellent cream cakes. The
appeal of regular ridge design, like
the ripples of a Greek column.
Change direction with a fork, the
result is repeating zigzags. Eat me,
some say. Willingly...and yet some
might be poisonous and some
might be waste products. Those
that are poisonous look like rocks
but are not dead. At this point I
must reconsider what I said earlier.
The plain form may not be telling
me the whole truth about itself. It
has been waiting for me to touch
it. It knows things about my past,
a million years ago, stuff that still
goes on, that I don’t want to
know. Its existance is its knowl-
edge. Unchanged through time, the
form is the memory and the pres-
ence. This gives it a ruthless
advantage.

Some forms might have impor-
tant functions if taken out of this
exhibit and placed in the right
environment or body.

_Nipples/ armadillo:/ squid /
acorn / rainstick / brain / intestine.

In the other room is a different
exhibit possibly with similar
themes: hand-sized pots in the
centre of the room made of red
clay, with little finger indentations
in the bottom so they'll never
stand by themselves. Three rows of
them surround a giant circle of
flat cracked white clay. The
mouths of the interior row of pots
face each other across the circle.
The outer two rows are not facing
anywhere in particular rather they
are actively turning away from the
centre. All rows are tightly packed
together.

At first I get the feeling this is
an arena. All that intent watching
of the centre. I walk around it.
This takes a long time. I feel I
could keep on doing this. I get a
pleasant rising feeling. I am being
held by the centre. It makes me
glide my way around. The curator
come out of her office, says she
sat here yesterday trying to read a
book but her eyes kept rising to
the circle. Hot air from the centre
of the desert. Some stare intently,
too hot for the others? Perhaps the
lines take turn, those on the interi-
or trading places with those on the
exterior, time to cool their eyes...

I’m wrong. It’s too wide and
the pots are too low for this to be
an arena for theater. They are here
for some reason other than mere
entertainment. Wait. They aren’t
anyone. These are pots. These
indented cups, these bumpy cones
are part of it. Is it their cool air
that is essential, the smooth cool

form. The experience is that of
being individual while sharing the
common characteristics of

the mass.

One method of viewing the
exhibit is to walk around and
encounter each form separately. It
only seems fair to do so, and in
the process inevitable comparisons
are made. Recognising the primary
nature of the form’s design, we get
an inkling of the origin of pretty
and plain. Look at the one full of
holes with darks shadows of mys-
terious depth surrounded by radi-
ating appendages. Regard its
neighboring co-lifer, a solid and
stalwart form, edges a little rough,
surface undifferentiated. Mystery
must be pretty because this second
one tells us the plain truth about
itself (comes in ridged or bumpy).

All the forms start off in red
clay but color is added; a spray of
nickel green evoking ancient seas,
or subtle gold, lighter orange,
lighter purple. The green accentu-
ates whorls, surface undulations,
often done to one side of the form
only. The naked red functions as
shadow emulator.

DECEMBER 1995 / Emny 11

could keep on doing this. I get a
pleasant rising feeling. I am being
held by the centre. It makes me
glide my way around. The curator
come out of her office, says she
sat here yesterday trying to read a
book but her eyes kept rising to
the circle. Hot air from the centre
of the desert. Some stare intently,
too hot for the others? Perhaps the
lines take turn, those on the interi-
or trading places with those on the
exterior, time to cool their eyes...

I’m wrong. It’s too wide and
the pots are too low for this to be
an arena for theater. They are here
for some reason other than mere
entertainment. Wait. They aren’t
anyone. These are pots. These =
indented cups, these bumpy cones“
are part of it. Is it their cool air
that is essential, the smooth cool
of wet clay, the cool of a shadow
hiding from the sun. Deep in their
mouths they hold the air which ¥
differs from that given by the
cracked white. They both are nec-
essary for the rising and turning.
-Dawn Buie ~®

Works from Nature of Things by
Sadashi Inuzuka at Richmond Art
Gallery

SoMo

(South Of Molson)
-Van’s Newest Art Mall-

By MAEVE DOYLE

A new and bigger location for a commercial gallery in
Vancouver... could anything be more exciting? Yes! An
entire street lined with commercial galleries that sup-
port and promote Emily Carr graduates.

West 3rd Avenue is about to become the city walk
with the newest and most challenging work on offer.
Monte Clark Gallery will open December 14 at 1727
West 3rd Ave., sometime after 7pm. The opening show,
Graham Gilmore’s “You Ruined Me With Your
Experiments”, promises to fulfill the artist’s stated
intention “to represent the human desire to communi-

cate.”

Siobhan Maloney, also an Emily Carr graduate, is
currently showing at Sarah Dobbs Gallery, 1767 West
3rd Ave. Keep an eye to what happens on this street in
1996. Rumour has it that another thus far unnamed
gallery is scheduled to open there as well. Other ECIAD
success stories who share in the West 3rd spotlight are
Drew Schaffer, Gayle Ryon and Shawn Westlaken. *®

ecewen 1995 | ewer 11

cxhibit isto walk around and sat here yesterday trying to read a
‘encounter each fom separately. It book ut he eyes kept ising to

I n Ss only seems fart do 0, and inthe circle. Hot ar from the centre

the process inevitable comparisons of the desert, Some stare intently,

are made, Recognising the primary 00 hot for the others? Perhaps the
nature ofthe form's design, we get lines take tur, those on the interi-

Sadashl Inuzuka, “The Nature of _ Some of the things are scary. ining ofthe onigin of
r an inkling of the origin of prety oF trading places with those on the
Things” An installation of 600 Too many holes = what multitudes nq plain, Look at the one full of exterior, time to cool thelr eyes.
‘ceramic objects from Oct19-Nov could lurk beneath? The trumpet ojes with darks shadows of mys- ‘T'm wrong. It’s too wide and
20 atthe Richmond Art Gallery _protrusion with one hole in he serious depth surrounded by rai- the pts are to0 low for ths to be
A lite like seeing shapes in mile gives mea heartless ating appendages. Regard its fan arena for theater. They are here
clouds, Something seems familar, appratal Toit Lexist as one of neighboring cover, a slid and for some reason oter than mete
ds me of. the telephone two possibilities, danger or meat. stalwart form, edges alte rough, enterainment. Wat. They aren't
Shower that fascinated me in my Edible. The things you can do = paras ome

surface undifferentiated. Mystery anyone. These are pots These
‘must be pretty because this second indented cups, these bumpy cones’
one tells us the plain truth about are part of it Is it their cool air
itself (comes in ridged or bumpy). that is essential, the smooth cool
All the forms start off in red of wet clay, the cool of a shadow
clay but color is added; a spray of hiding from the sun, Deep in their
nickel green evoking ancient seas, mouths they hold the air which
‘or subtle gold, lighter orange, dlifers from that given by the
lighter purple. The green accentu- cracked white. They both are nec-
ates whorls, surface undulations, essary forthe rising and turning.
often done to one sie of the form -Davn Buie “®
only. The naked red functions as,

childhood bathtub, some part of a with mashed potatoes: make regu-
kitchen strainer or grater, without la ridges similar to those found in
the kitchen association. Function all excellent cream cakes. The
unknown, all you get i the appeal of regular ridge design, like
first impression the ripples of a Greek column,
Primitive, the fist recognizable Change direction with a fork, the
life forms. Like trilobites; tough, _result is repeating zigzags. Eat me,
simple creatures before the diversi- some say. Willingly.and yet some
ty boom. Before jungle before might be poisonous and some
coral reef, Proceeding modem day might be waste products. Those
starfish /stingray | turnip / penis | that are poisonous look like rocks

‘wasp nest / roach hotel /tele- but are not dead. At this point | Shavow emulator
phone chord. rust reconsider what I said earlier.
‘The relationships between Indi- The plain form may not be telling

viduals. The conceptual wavering me the whole truth about itself. It
‘between forest and a bunch of has been waiting for me to touch
trees. Inuzuka writes he was try

96 it Itknows things about my past,
for 600 forms, not all of which a milion years ago, stuff that still
were present that day, but enough goes on, that I don't want to
to get across the idea.of diversity. know. Its existance is its knowl-

Cee es
Soe ne dager ert ag (South Of Molson)

repeated through ot the forms Some forms might have impor -Van’s Newest Art Mall-
Variations ona theme, the most tant factions if aken out ofthis

noticeable ference being the exhibit and placed in the right Pea

funders vrs long cont oi

forms. find the former ore ‘Nipples amadil 9 ‘Knew and bigger location fore commercial gallery in
interesting and more complex. The acorn /rainstick | brain / intestine. abc EON AAG beta eens er
Tong forms seem to havea year In the aer rom is a dierent rates Lgl MA DE
ing they reach toward someting, exit possibly with simdar Setar ivand ran Car baa

and through sheer will power themes: hand-sized pots inthe Rn ee ee a
develop stong enough intemal centre ofthe room made of red Si aan em cy wal
Structures to allow them to stand lay, with ie finger indentations ets San pi
{por swim away. The rounded in the bottom so they never

‘West 3rd Ave, sometime after 7pm. The opening show,
Graham Gilmore's “You Ruined Me With Your
Experiments", promises to full the artist's stated

forms on the other hand refer back stand by themselves, Three rows of
to internal complexities , mandela-’ them surround a giant circle of

like. So much more than flat cracked white clay. The sGicstita -paeT OE natin ea) comma
bilateral symmetry. ‘mouths of the interior row of pots aes

‘The lighting sporatically spot- face each other across the circle. ice ea aacyalean taut te,
lights a few forms throughout the The outer two rows are not facing cuncatly sawing sPaaatiaHte abtrvey vies
room, adding a dynamic to the anywhere in particular rather they

5rd Ave. Keep an eye to what happens on this street in

stasis created hy the even spacing are actively tuming away from the 1996, Rumour has it that another thus far unnamed

of pieces of a similar size. The centre. All rows are tightly packed gallery is scheduled to open there s well. Other ECIAD
spotlighting creates an affect akin together. success stories who share inthe West 3rd spotlight are
to winning a lottery; the form is At first get the feeling this is

Drew Schaffer, Gayle Ryon and Shawn Westlaken. “®
highlighted not because of excep- an arena. All that intent watching ii

tional merit instead it becomes a of the centre. I walk around it
representative of every man every This takes a long time. I feet I
form. The experience is that of could keep on doing ths. I get a
being individual while sharing the pleasant rising feeling. am being,
‘common characteristics of held by the centre. It makes me
the mass. slide my way around. The curator
‘One method of viewing the come out of her office, says she
‘exhibit isto walk around and sat here yesterday trying to read a
‘encounter each form separately. It book but her eyes kept rising to
only seems fair to do so, and inthe circle. Hot air from the centre

the process inevitable comparisons ofthe desert. Some stare intently,
are made. Recognising the primary too hot for the others? Perhaps the
nature of the form's design, we get lines take turn, those on the intti-
‘an inkling of the origin of pretty or trading places with those on the
and plain, Look at the one full of exterior, time to cool their eyes.

Iholes with darks shadows of mys- I'm wrong. It's too wide and
‘rious depth surrounded by radi- the pots are too low for this to be
ating appendages. Regard its an arena for theater. They are here

neighboring co-lifer, a solid and for some reason other than mere
stalwart form, edges a lite rough, entertainment. Wait. They aren't
surface undifferentiated. Mystery | anyone. These are pots. These
‘must be pretty because this second indented cups, these bumpy cones
one tells us the plain truth about are part of it. Is it their cool air
itself (comes in ridged or bumpy). that is essential, the smooth cool