monochrome: 11 Indoor scenery

“Columns, Oxford Museum” Trial proof No.2 24th Jun, 1994

Trial proof No.4 14th Jul, 1994

Trial proof No.6 5th Aug, 1994

“Oxford Museum, The Ceiling” Trial proof No.2 Jan, 31st 2016

Trial proof No.3 Feb, 14th 2016

Trial proof No.6 Mar, 20th 2016

国内の室内風景は根岸競馬場スタンドの作品を五点制作したが、海外ではオックスフォードとシカゴの室内風景を三点描いたので試し刷りを掲載してみよう。1992年8月、ロンドン滞在中に万里と一緒にオックスフォードに小旅行をした。私は1978年にオックスフォードを一度訪れたことがあったが、今回はオックスフォードミュージアムを訪れ室内風景を取材するのが目的だった。正確にはオックスフォード大学自然史博物館で、美術評論家だったジョンラスキンの提案によって1855年代に建てられ、ゴシックリバイバル様式の古典的な外装の建築だ。内部に入ると高いガラス張りの天井から明るい陽の光が差し込んでいて、上部に鉄製の植物のオーナメントが施された鉄柱が連なって立ち並び、天井を支える曲線状に曲げられた支柱と繋がっていた。石、鉄、ガラスの資材で構築された建築はビクトリア時代の鋼鉄製造の高度な技術とプレラファエル派の気品のある装飾美が感じられ、華麗なインテリアだ。一階の広大な恐竜ギャラリーには数えきれないほどの恐竜やクジラなどの骨格標本が所狭しと展示されていて、自然科学好きの私にはまさにワンダーランドだった。恐竜ギャラリーの周りの二階には回廊が巡らされ、その奥にはかってチャールズダーウィンらの科学者達が論争を交わした教授室があり、歴史の重みを感じた。第一作の制作にあたっては室内の柔らかい光を表現するため、幅が細く深い線が彫れる菱型ビュランを使ったが、それまで制作した版の中で一番繊細な線で表現した。その後天井上部を描こうと夢見ていたが、2016年にやっと念願の第ニ作が完成した。

I produced indoor scenery items that totaled five works of the Negishi Horse Race Stand, then decided to show them overseas. I tried to show the trial proofs because I had produced three works of Oxford and Chicago indoor landscapes, and it had worked out well then. In August 1992, during a stay in London, Marie and I visited the Oxford Museum to view the scenery in these rooms, more accurately, at The Oxford University Natural History Museum, built by the art critic John Ruskin's proposal in the 1855's, it has a classic exterior architecture of Gothic revival style. I had visited Oxford once in 1978 by myself. When we entered inside, a bright sunlight was inserted from a high glazed ceiling, and iron pillars with ornaments of iron plants on top were lined up and connected to a curved support pillar that supports the ceiling, it was a stunning sight. Most of the architecture is constructed with stone, steel and glass materials, and it gives a splendid interior that feels like the sophisticated technology of steel manufacturing that took place in the Victorian Era and elegant decorative beauty of the pre-Raphaelite. In the vast dinosaur gallery in the basement area, there are countless skeletal specimens such as dinosaurs and whales being narrowed down and it was a great Wonderland for me, for one who likes the natural sciences. There was a corridor on the first floor around the dinosaur gallery, a professor’s office, where Charles Darwin, a great natural science scientist of the past, got into a controversial struggle in the depths of time and of the nature of humankind, I felt the weight of history in this beautiful building. In the production of the works, I used a lozenge type burin, with it, you can produce a narrow and deep line that can be engraved to express indoor soft light, and I was able to create the most delicate lines among the plates I had made up to that point; after that, I had dreamed of doing the second engraving, which was the upper part of the ceiling, and by 2016, I was able to put the finishing work to completeness as I had wished.

“Passing Time, Chicago Public Library” Trial proof No.1 June 28. 2005

Trial proof No.3 Sep, 29. 2005

Trial proof No.6 Nov, 5. 2005

Trial proof No.9 Dec, 6. 2005

私がファイバーアーティストの中野明美コーンさんの個展に出かけ、銀座のギャラリーうえすとでお会いして話をしていたら、偶然私が卒業した美大の先輩だったことが分かり親しくなった。中野さんはアメリカ人のジャズミュージシャンのジャックコーンと結婚して長年シカゴにお住まいで、今度アメリカに来る時はお立ち寄りくださいと誘われた。2004年4月下旬初めてシカゴを訪れた。ミッドウエイ空港からザループというよく映画に出てくる高架電車に乗って、ある駅で違う電車に乗り換えたが、グルグル回るだけで外に出る路線の電車に乗れず、明美さんに電話をして乗り換え方を尋ね、夕方やっと郊外のご自宅にたどり着いた。中野さんの新しい作品を見せてもらったが、日本の古典的な紋様の布を現代風にアレンジされていて、日本人特有の詩情があって素晴らしかった。また明美さんがシカゴに二十年間住んでいた建築家、フランクロイドライトが設計した教会のインテリアを担当した写真を見せてくださったが、とても清楚デザインで洗練されていた。多民族の国で自分のアイデンティティを打ち出しながら制作を続けている明美さんの姿勢に感銘を受けた。翌朝、街に出て取材をするがどこか推薦する所はないかと明美さんにお聞きすると、オールドパブリックライブラリーが素晴らしいと言われた。早速ループに乗ってクラシックなシカゴカブスの球場を見ながら中心地で降りた。シカゴ川に沿って歩き、ミシガン湖方面の通りにオールドライブラリーの建物を見つけた。壮麗な造りの建物の中に入ると豪華な装飾が施された部屋が続いていて、シカゴが繁栄した時代の痕跡を残していた。図書館は新しいビルディングに移動して、今はコミュニティセンターとして市民に利用されているようだ。大きな部屋の入り口の脇から階段室が見えたので降りて行くと、おそらく建造されてからまったく変わっていないだろう、白い大理石製の可憐な手摺りがある美しい階段があった。踊り場の床にはモザイクが埋め込まれていて高い窓から差し込む早春の陽の光がそのアールデコデザインと調和するかのように三角の形を残して床を染めていた。私は2000年代から光を強調してモノクローム銅版画作品を制作してきたが、初めて訪れたシカゴで絶妙な時間に奇跡的な光景を取材出来たのは大変幸運で、私は明美さんの推薦に感謝した。シカゴの豊かだった頃の遺産に接し、ほのぼのとした気持ちで旧図書館を後にしてミシガンアベニューを歩いていると、公園の先にシカゴ美術館があるのに気がついた。ミシガン湖から吹き付ける寒風で身体が凍りそうになっていた私は暖かい美術館に行って展覧会でも見ようと思い、急ぎ足で美術館に駆け込んだ。ボブディランの曲「The Girl From The North Country」の歌詞のフレーズが心に浮かんだ。幸運にもなんとそこでは「レンブラントのジャーニー展」が開催されていたのである。レンブラントの主なエッチング作品はロンドンで見ていたが、幸運は続くものだ。展示作品の横にその銅原版が額に入れて十数点以上展示されていたのだ！初めて見るレンブラント銅版は精密な平行線と所々にはクロスハッチングと呼ばれる交差した平行線が描かれ、描画の勢いを残したまま鋭く腐蝕されていて、レンブラントの息ずかいが聴こえてくるようで衝撃を受けた。あの日視た薔薇色に輝くレンブラントの美しい原版は今も私の心に焼き付いている。

When I attended to a solo exhibition of a fiber artist, Akemi Nakano Corn at the gallery in Ginza, Tokyo, I spoke with her, and as we talked to each other, I found out she was a senior college member who had graduate from the same university that I had once graduated, life can often lead to unusual chance. Akemi Nakano married an American jazz musician Jack Corn and lived in Chicago for many years and I was invited to drop in when I come to America next time. I visited Chicago for the first time in late April 2004. I took the elevated train called the Loop, and had intended to change to a different train at a station, but I could not get on the train on that route that goes outside , so I called Akemi and asked how to transfer, and then finally arrived at her home in the suburbs in the evening. Akemi showed me some of her new works, and they were wonderful, because she had used Japanese cloth of classical patterns arranged in a contemporary style, and there was even some Japanese unique poetry. Akemi also showed me the photograph of the interior of the church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, an architect who lived in Chicago for 20 years, but it was very refined. I was impressed by Akemi's attitude, which continues to produce great works, while keeping her traditional identity in a multi-ethnic country. The next morning, I went out into the town and asked Akemi as to whether there was a place she would recommend for me to see, the old public library was said to be wonderful. I immediately got on the Loop and got off at the center while watching the classic Chicago Cubs stadium go by. I walked along the Chicago River and found the Old Library building on the street in the direction of Lake Michigan. While entering into the majestic building, a room with gorgeous decorations continued on and on, leaving traces of the times when Chicago prospered. The library has moved to a new building and it seems that it is now being used by citizens as a community center. As I saw the staircase from the side of the entrance of the big room, I went down and it had probably had not changed at all since its construction, there was a beautiful staircase with a pretty hand made of white marble. On the floor of the landing area, a mosaic was embedded and the early spring sunlight, which is inserted through a high window, dyed the floor leaving a triangular shape as if it were in harmony with its Art Deco design. I have been making monochrome copperplate prints with emphasis on light since the 2000s, but I am very fortunate to be able to report such miraculous sights at such an exquisite time in Chicago visiting for the first time. I truly appreciated Akemi’s recommendation. When I was walking down Michigan Avenue after touching the legacy of Chicago, I felt relaxed and found the Chicago Art Museum in front of the park. I thought my body was going to freeze with cold wind blowing in from Lake Michigan. I wanted to go to the warm museum and thought about seeing it at the exhibition, so I ran into the museum quickly. A phrase of the lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "The Girl from The North Country" came into my mind. Fortunately there was an exhibition titled "Rembrandt's Journey Exhibition," being held there. Rembrandt's main etching work was seen in London, but good luck goes on. Ten or more copper original plates were put on the forehead next to the exhibited prints! I saw Rembrandt’s copperplates for the first time, seeing its precisely parallel lines and crossed parallel lines, called cross hatching, in some places they are drawn and sharply corroded, while leaving the momentum of drawing in keepsake, and it seemed that even the breath of Rembrandt comes to be heard in lines, I was shocked. Rembrandt's beautiful master plate that shines in the rose color of that day is still stuck in my mind.

少し話が長くなるが銅板の腐蝕方法とエッチングとエングレーヴィングの併用法を「Passing Time, Chicago Public Library」を例にして説明してみよう。レンブラントが使用した腐蝕液はオランダ腐蝕液と呼び、塩酸に水と塩素酸カリウムを加えた溶液で、まっすぐ垂直に腐蝕する特徴がある。ロンドンではダッチアシッドと呼んでプリントワークショップで使っていた。東京の美術大学時代に使っていた硝酸に水を加えた腐蝕液よりも腐蝕の仕方が好きで、日本人版画家は誰も用いないが、私はずっとこの溶液を使って銅板を腐蝕している。腐蝕は数回行い、最初に暗く表現したい部分を描画をして腐蝕し、さらに描き加えて再腐蝕してその時間の差で線の太さと深さに変化をつけ明暗のトーンを表現する。試し刷りNo.1はドローイングを転写して描画を案内する線、ガイドラインをニードルで描いた刷りで、この描画法と作品をドライポイントと言う。試し刷りNo.3 は前の版に松脂と蜜蝋とアスファルトを混ぜたグランドを塗り、ニードルで描画して腐蝕をした刷りである。この版は4回腐蝕して合計6時間30分だった。No.6とNo.9は腐蝕していない部分をビュランを用い、細い線と点を彫り作品を完成させた。エッチングの腐蝕された太い線とエングレーヴィングの彫った細い線の対比を利用してドラマチックな表現が実現した。腐蝕についての話だが駒井哲郎先生の遺作の原版を展覧会で見る機会があったが、希硝酸溶液でごっそりえぐり取られるように腐蝕された線は、シカゴで見たあのレンブラントの版の線と似て精密で美しかった。腐蝕液の違いがあるとはいえ、時代を超えた腐蝕に対するアーティストの厳しさを感じた。駒井先生は私達に腐蝕はエッチングの最も重要な過程だから、版から絶対離れるなとよく言われていた。2006年正月、駒井哲郎先生の旧友、美術評論家の粟津則雄氏、ト子ご夫妻のご自宅に招かれた時ちょうどこの作品が完成したので贈呈したが、その後2016年粟津則雄コレクションの一作品として以前に購入していただいたノートルダムのエングレーヴィングと共に練馬区立美術館に収蔵された。

Let me talk a little bit, and let's explain the method of corroding copper plate and etching and engraving in combination with "Passing Time, Chicago Public Library" as an example. The corrosive liquid used by Rembrandt is called Dutch corrosive liquid, and it is a solution of hydrochloric acid plus water and potassium chlorate, which corrodes vertically. We called it Dutch Acid and used it at the Print Workshop in London. I like the way of corrosion than the corrosive liquid which added water to nitric acid, and which was used in the art university in Tokyo, no one uses a Japanese version printmaker, but I have always used this solution to corrode the copper plate. Corrosion is done several times, first you draw the parts that you want to express darkly, then corrodes it, draws it again and re-corrodes and changes the thickness and depth of the line by the difference in time to express the light and dark tones. Trial proof no.1 is a line drawing transferred onto a copper plate with a needle drawn, it is a guide line because it guides the engraving, and this drawing method and work are called Dry Point. Trial proof no. 3 is a proofing in which the front plate was covered with a ground mixed with rosin, beeswax and asphalt, and it was corroded by drawing with a needle and the method called Etching. This plate corroded 4 times, totaling 6 hours 30 minutes. In no.6 to no.9, I used burin for the un-corroded part, engraved thin lines and points and completed the work. A dramatic expression was realized using the comparison between the etched corroded thick line and the engraved thin line. Although I talked about corrosion, there was a chance to see the original plates of Tetsuro Komai's masterpiece of the heritage in the exhibition, but the line eroded corroded so that it can be squeezed out with dilute nitric acid solutions, with the line of Rembrandt's versions seen in Chicago, it was similar and precise and beautiful. Despite the differences in the etchant, I felt the artist's severity for erosion beyond the age. Professor Komai told us that corrosion is the most important process of etching, so it was often said not to leave the plate absolutely. I donated this work, "Passing Time, Chicago Public Library," to the art critic Mr. Norio Awazu and Mrs. Toko Awazu who are old friends of Professor Tetsuro Komai in the 2006 New Year when I was invited their home, because this work was just completed. After that it was collected at Nerima Museum of Art, together with the engravings of Notre-Dame which were previously purchased as one of the works of Norio Awazu Collection in 2016.