“INTO THE VOID”
September 21, 2013 – October 18, 2013
Reception：September 21, 2013 18:00 – 20:00
Sponsored by
Entitled “INTO THE VOID,” from the song by English rock band Black Sabbath, the show is the culmination of several years of planning and showcases recent developments in Reyle’s practice.
Known for his eye-catching works employing nostalgic found objects and explosive neon colors, Anselm Reyle and his team of studio assistants craft large-scale paintings and sculptures from everyday materials such as reflective silver foil, car lacquer, acrylics, mirrors, and metal elements, while using fluorescent paint and neon lights to create disparate combinations which free the viewer from traditional associations and imbue the results with new meaning and connotations.
Describing this method, Reyle commented that “in abstract art, the materials are always clear and concrete. By instead using materials which are not usually seen in fine art, I am able to break with that dogma.” For his new show, Reyle has constructed a decidedly unclassical installation featuring paintings whose surfaces have been sprayed with fire extinguishers, laser lights, and works created from scrap wood.
The elegant deployment of these materials creates an intense discord and ignites the viewer’s imagination to explore a landscape of unlimited possibilities. This Autumn, we hope you will stop by to see Reyle’s infinite world for yourself.
Statement From Anselm Reyle
My first exhibition in Japan, INTO THE VOID, was developed in close collaboration with Takashi Murakami. We had several intense discussions in which he empowered me to create something new especially for this show. This was followed by an exchange of ideas whereby we both made sketches.
Right from the beginning, when Takashi invited me for an exhibition at his Kaikai Kiki Gallery, it was very important to him that I fly to Tokyo to inspect the gallery space with him. It was only later that I realized the importance of this trip.
Soon upon arrival, after recovering slightly from my first impressions of this huge city, I met Takashi and some of his assistants on the premises of his gallery. We sat together on the floor of the Tatami room. He told me that he greatly appreciates my work, which is why he also owns some pieces. But unfortunately, he said, he does not quite understand what my work is about and asked if perhaps I could explain it to him. I felt a little overwhelmed by this direct question, so I began to stammer something. To my amazement, however, Takashi seemed to gain a realization from my embarrassment. He said that he now understood why he likes my work so much.
Much like his, it is ultimately about nothing. It’s about nothingness, about the void. Takashi was excited by that. He noticed my confusion and said that I absolutely had to visit the shrines and temples in Ise and Kyoto the next day. Then I would understand more.
The next morning, after very little sleep, I set off with some of his assistants to see the shrines and temples such as Ise-jingū. They assured me that the conversation from the day before had been a very important one. The day was full of new impressions, and I have the feeling that I have come even a little bit closer to nothingness, to the void.
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"INTERVIEW"
4：07
