NOBUHO NAGASAWA
(b. 1959)
WESTWOOD GALLERY NYC presented the premiere NY solo exhibition for Nobuho Nagasawa and represents the artist and her artwork.
ARTWORK
Nagasawa’s interdisciplinary art incorporates traditional media with technology; the artworks are often based on the natural elements of air, water, earth and fire which are transfigured. She uses sound, the sensory properties of space, light, interactive components and ready-made objects mutated to suit the hybrid needs of each project.
Nagasawa starts by exploring the sociological and psychological content of each site, like a forensic researcher, in order to identify the appropriate materials and media for the environment she aims to create. The concepts and materials are diverse; while the content initially informs the choice of materials, she also establishes a feed-back loop, in which the selected materials in their turn become influencers of the initial content, each enriching the other with unexpected signifiers. Through it, objective history is combined with the memories of space and time to create an intimate and unique relationship.
RECENT INSTALLATION WORK
"Luminescence," is a permanent, site-specific, public installation on permanent view at Hunter's Point, Long Island City, New York. The public artwork has won several awards including, the 2016 Excellence in Design award from the NYC Public Design Commission, the National ASLA Honor Award for Design, and more. It consists of seven, 6 ft diameter dome sculptures representing the seven phases of the moon. The mold was crafted using NASA topographic survey data collected by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in order to render an accurate relief of the moon. The moon phases are represented through integrated phosphorus particles and reflective silicon carbide grains. During the day, the moons absorb sunlight, allowing them to glow soft blue at night.
Nobuho's installation was part of a larger city project for Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park planned by the Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Parks & Recreation, SWA/Balsley, Weiss/Manfredi and ARUP.
"Voyage through the Void (Umi no Utsuwa)," 2013 is an installation first presented at the Setouchi Triennial on Shodoshima, Japan. The work is constructed of optical fiber woven in the style of traditional kimono weavers from Nishijin, Kyoto onto a stainless steel "tenma boat" frame with pulsating lights and sound. Nagasawa recorded the ebb and flow of the Inland Sea in Shodoshima and linked the pulsation of the lights with the waves. As a visitor lies in the boat, the color of the optical fiber will change based on their body movements, and the "heart beat" of the boat follows the pulsation of the Setouchi Island Sea.
"Umi no Utsuwa" has a double meaning: "Vessel (container) of the Sea," and "Vessel (womb) of birth/life." When translating to English, "vessel" becomes ship, so the English name was chosen as "Voyage through the Void," as the visitor voyages on the boat on a fleeting journey from the void to birth and traveling through life to the void at death.
PAST INSTALLATION WORK
