Iwasaki, Takahiro. 2014. Reflection Model (Itsukushima). Sculptural installation. National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.
Photograph by Elizabeth Cole of Takahiro Iwasaki's Reflection Model (Itsukushima), 2023.
Photograph by Elizabeth Cole of Takahiro Iwasaki's Reflection Model (Itsukushima), 2023.
To calm my mind after the excesses of the Pierre Bonnard exhibition (Bonnard Designed by India Mahdavi 2023), I took refuge in the atrium room holding the third and largest work from Takahiro Iwasaki's Reflection Model series.
I was fortunate enough to be the sole viewer of this work for most of my visit on 26 July 2023, enabling a contemplative engagement of the work. Suspended in time and space, the large scale sculpture has an ethereal presence, transcending its constructed nature and wooden components. Its solitary presence appears to fill the room, a perception aided by the lack of any other objects (chairs, benches for example). The scale is such that the viewer must walk around the sculpture to fully see it from all angles, hence engaging with the work as a type of immersive experience.
The work exemplifies the aesthetical philosophy of Susanne Langer (Chaplin-Dengerink 2019, 194) presenting as one integrated symbol of reflective stillness. I chose to view it from a distance to retain the mystique, rather than get up close to check out how it was made. The limited palette of pale wood set against the dark blue walls added to the serenity.
This minimalistic, sculptural installation exemplifies the expressive potential of scale and simplicity, and reminds me of the immersive potential of this type of presentation. Having already explored the dissonance of floor based installation work, a ceiling hang is a logical extension, as I contemplate alternatives to the traditional wall or plinth mounted approach.
Bibliography
Chaplin-Dengerink, Adrienne. 2019. The philosophy of Susanne Langer : embodied meaning in logic, art and feeling. First edition. ed. London ;: Bloomsbury Academic.
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