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Artist Statement
I feel moved when sunlight touches an object in the afternoon and visualize the space around me. I walk out and wander around to observe shapes of shadows. I realize that shadows make spaces visible. I find myself in the spaces enjoying architecture delineated by sunlight. Buildings and their shadows are layered and blended together, create momentary beauty of colors and shapes. These scenes are temporary, and will change or disappear in the next moment. They are very precious because their occurrence is the unique combination of a place, sunlight, and the precise moment I happen upon the scene like an eclipse.
I spontaneously use photography to capture visual information. What results are like quick sketches. The camera documents specific moments of ever changing shapes and spaces. Although capturing the moment is quick, when I create works of art, I choose time-consuming autographical method in transferring information from the photograph. During the process of depicting information, I become involved deeply and identify myself as a part of the space. I note that nothing is permanent and everything is constantly changing: light, cityscape, and myself.
I choose printmaking as my primary medium. The printmaking process is reminiscent of the relationship between light and shadow. Etching and aquatint help me express my interest in light and shadow by using their rich tones of black and white. The graphic nature of black and white leads me to lines and shapes found in architectural elements. Once I eliminated color from my work, I found myself drawn to the exploration of space itself. My work became about the physicality of three dimensional space.
In old architectural sites, the transient, ephemeral quality of light and shadow becomes palpable. I began to work with large-scale three-dimensional drawings by stretching ropes from one point to another in a selected outdoor space during afternoon light; in which the ropes/lines become a temporary extension of the ambient architecture. Once completed, I videotape the drawing/installation. I find myself exploring the space that I have created with my 3-D structures interacting with the momentary phase of the architecture. I document the way I perceive and understand the space while merging with it in the transient afternoon light.
TORU SUGITA
