Video: Salt installations by Motoi Yamamoto
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
One of the most intriguing aspects of art is the individual decision of the author to create short-lived works as opposed to the general culture of mass consumption. Japanese artist Motoi Yamamoto creates very intricate and laborious designs from common salt. Their creation takes a lot of time, and they live extremely shortly. Perhaps that is why the author's art is distinguished by heightened spirituality and deep meaning?
At the beginning of Motoi Yamamoto's creative career, there was a tragic event: in 1994, his younger sister died of brain cancer. This was too much of a shock for the loving brother, after which he began to reflect on what he possesses and what he has lost. The result of these reflections was the pursuit of creativity. In his labyrinths and structures made of salt, Motoi Yamamoto tries to express those thoughts and feelings for which he lacks words.
The use of salt is, of course, not accidental. The artist claims that she is closely connected with a person, and this connection lies outside of time and space. In many countries, and especially in Japan, salt is an indispensable element of ritual culture, and in the beginning Yamamoto used it in this very context. However, in the process of further work, the author came to the conclusion that salt may have been part of living beings and supported their lives. Currently, the artist is sure that salt consists of the memory of people - it is with this special feeling that he pours his amazing sculptures.
In general, the theme of memories is central to the work of Motoi Yamamoto. “Creating labyrinths out of salt is following the path in the footsteps of your memory,” the author says. He does not draw preliminary sketches or diagrams, but simply begins to pour paths of salt, obeying his feelings and memories at the time of creating a particular installation.
Motoi Yamamoto was born in Japan in 1966 and worked at a shipyard until 1988. Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art in 1995.
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