PCN Art Brut Series No. 10, Artwork Description.

Abstract

The mesh pattern characterizes Kenji Tomiyama's art pieces. He first draws a shape with lines, which then gets filled with the mesh pattern. This shape (the mesh, namely) further gets overlaid on another one. Some figures appear to symbolize something; others appear as simply abstract. The size of the mesh varies and the spatial front–back (or top–bottom) relationship between the overlaid shapes is unknown, so the piece appears to be more of an imaginary space rather than that where something is represented. What we call ‘composition’ in art history is not considered, so there seems to be no close relationship between shapes – as a result this gives a feeling of floating. On the other hand, however, precisely because the entire piece is covered with sections of mesh, it also gives a static sense of entanglement. The charm of Tomiyama's pieces resides in the coexistence of the apparently opposing qualities (of note, he has also produced pieces in which neither meshes nor overlays are present, including his series of faces). Tomiyama keeps drawing until interrupted (by the staff at the facility where he lives). Upon his being prompted to take a break or a bath, the production process is interrupted. When he comes back, however, there is no knowing where exactly his hand will go. He may pick up where he left off, he may begin from a different part on the same artwork, or sometimes he starts with an entirely different page to draw on. In that sense, no one knows when or how each piece reaches the point of completion. Tomiyama's pieces can be seen as always complete or incomplete. Author: Kenji Tomiyama (1970–) Title: Stitch Date: 2012 Dimensions: 352 × 252 mm Material: Sketchbook, pencil, colored pencils Cover design by Yoji Hirano