Synesthesia

Caption for this series of artworks

The artwork in the title image above is based on a photograph of the factory taken shortly after sunset.

What do you actually think about while viewing a night view of a factory? I mostly think of the past. Or, sometimes what I am currently struggling with takes away from my thinking. Worries stem from past events.

I am not mesmerized by the overwhelmingly beautiful scenery I see, but rather by the past. Isn’t it the same for all of you? Think back to the past.

This work changes its completed form each time it is viewed. This is because the image of the work changes depending on the past that the viewer has in mind at the time. In other words, this work that you are watching now is a limited work only for you now.

What I want to convey to you in this series of artworks.

My message to all of you is that “we are always in the art space”.

Viewing my work, viewers are encouraged to reflect on their own past and current concerns. By comparing several different colors, your mind will be dominated by various past events and current concerns. By repeating this sensation, it becomes easier to feel something about what you see.

For example, just by looking at a landscape that you normally see, you may feel something that you have never felt before. I had that experience. I realized that the real world is made of art.

I want to convey that. That is what “Synesthesia” is all about.

You can see a video of the work in the 【gallery】 above.

I highly recommend reading the episode below before watching the video.

The concept of this work is to discover feelings, sensitivities, and thoughts that have never existed before by comparing works of different colors.

For now, prepare a cup of coffee to calm your mind.

• If possible, we recommend that you watch it alone in a quiet environment.
• We recommend watching it in full screen mode. When watching on a PC monitor, it is recommended to use “hyde – hide the YouTube video player controls” as the player controls (bottom bar) can get in the way. This allows you to hide the player controls (bottom bar) with the keyboard shortcut key “Cntr+M”. Comfortable full-screen viewing is possible.
• Pause the video at your favorite color and take your time to appreciate it. It is just like viewing a work of art in a museum.
• Please view this work not only once, but many times to feel various images. I also view this work many times. Each time, a different image always comes to mind.

I had a magical experience with this artwork.

It is “everything I see feels like art”.

When I walk out the front door, the scenery I normally see without thinking about it feels like an art photograph.

Even the comforter I wake up to in the morning looks like a work of art.

Let me tell you about the first time I felt that.

It happened one holiday late afternoon when I went out to shop for dinner.

Just before I left home I was on my own bed.

I lay in bed looking at my art, remembering what had happened the day before.

The day before, I visited an art photo gallery. It was the first time I had been to that gallery. The gallery was hosting a solo exhibition of an artist. Several monochrome art photographs are on display.

After admiring the work for a while, I asked the gallery owner this question,

“Is there a story to this works?”

The owner thought for a moment and then replied,

“No, there is no story in this works. This work is contemporary art. Contemporary art is an expression of the present moment. Right now. The present moment. It expresses what is about to happen. So at this point there is no story to this works. Because the story of this work is what you, the viewers, are going to create.”

It was the first time I had heard the term.

I had never thought about that before.

My susceptible beast turned all its attention to the owner’s words.

The owner then continued the story.

“The photos in this exhibit are priced, but the photos themselves are not worth much. It is just a printed photo. Not much different from the photos we usually take with our smartphones. So why is art photography worth paying for? If, by looking at a work of art, a person is able to gain something new, such as a discovery or a sense of value that he or she has never felt before, then we can say that the photograph was valuable to that person. So we pay for it. If you don’t get anything out of it, it’s just another printed photo.”

I thought deeply about this on my quiet bed.

I thought deeply about it as I watched my own work that I have produced.

Am I able to discover something new by appreciating art?

What discoveries can I make?

Can this work of mine be of value to the viewer?

With this in mind, I slowly looked at each piece on my phone screen one by one.

The orange work reminded me of the orange curtains at my grandmother’s house and made me nostalgic.

For some reason, the yellow-green work brought to mind a scene of my daughter dancing at a field day under a clear blue sky.

The red works seemed somehow nostalgic and scary, but also appealing to me to cherish something about them.

Each works of color evokes my different past.

Each works of color evokes different sensations for me.

Some remind me of the past, while others make me feel somewhat strange.

I felt like I was in a world that was vaguely a little different from reality.

It was a quiet time, with the sound of children playing in the distance coming from outside the house.

Before I knew it, it was already late afternoon.

It was time for the sky to turn a little orange.

It’s time to go shopping for dinner ingredients.

I changed out of my pajamas.

Then I put on my shoes and casually walked out the front door as usual.

Scenery that we see every day. Scenery that passes us by on a daily basis without making us feel anything. Scenery that should be nothing.

There I had a strange experience.

The landscapes I see in my eyes look like works of art !!

I headed for the bicycle parking lot.

The rows of bicycles lined up in front of me are also works of art. It’s like some kind of art filter applied to the photo. It spreads out before my eyes and plays as an image.

I got on my bike and rode through that art space.

It was really strange.

I had never experienced anything like this before.

Now! The present! What unfolds before my eyes.

An art phenomenon happening on the same time line as me.

Maybe this is contemporary art. That’s what I thought.

Since then, with a little awareness, I have come to perceive everything I see as art.

Even the distortion of my comforter that I see when I wake up in the morning looks like a piece of creative art.

If I go outside, I’ll find myself inundated with creations.

Take road signs, for example. I can imagine the scene of the workers who installed them at that time. What were the workers thinking as they worked? Were they working while just hoping to get the job done quickly? Or did he have faith in his work and insist on even subtle angle adjustments?

This road sign is definitely here now by the workers. It is the awareness of the workers that shapes the form.

This world is full of creations.

This world is a treasure trove of art.

This episode is strongly connected to my series of works, “Synesthesia”.

This work is an important work for me because it led me to new discoveries.

• Synesthesia is a phenomenon in which one senses another (e.g., sight) from auditory stimuli, e.g., hearing a certain sound makes one see a certain color. Normally, what we see is perceived visually. What we hear with our ears is perceived with our hearing. However, there are sensations in this world that cannot be thought of with such common sense.

The concept of my works is “color. Color is very stimulating to the human mind. Colors remind you of the past and evoke different sensations and images in your mind. There is probably some gap between the image in your mind and the scene you are currently seeing. Please continue to compare my different colored pieces and feel the gap between them.

If there are 10 people, there will be 10 different ways of seeing and feeling. Will you experience something magical too? That may be a different experience than mine. I would be insanely happy if you could comment on how you felt about it, if you would like.

And if this artwork was meaningful to you, please buy Paas a cup of “coffee“.

If not, you will find yourself more relaxed and happy by that coffee.

Just a moment...

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