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JAPANESE |
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- Introduction of the Judges - |
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Nobumichi Tosa President of Maywa Denki |
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| [Comment] | |||
| [Overall Evaluation] This is my first time to participate in DCA as a Screening Committee Member. In recent years, CG has been leaning towards movies, which makes digital art contests for still pictures, like Toray DCA, rather unique. For that very reason, the characteristics found in a piece of artwork, such as a picturesque setting, and drama, rather than its "digital-ness," or the artist´s ability to draw a picture, will, and should, be in question. As a screener, I emphasized such perspectives rather than the artists´ techniques, in selecting works. [Comments on each award-winning artwork] General Section Maywa Denki Award "Angelus" by Andrew Mamo This work makes the audience think that there might be some particular meaning to each motif. Also, what was interesting to me about this work was the way he created its whole atmosphere, which sort of makes me feel like I was looking at a religious picture, or something like a movie. It was my favorite work among many entries, and made me want to enlarge it and put it on the wall. That is why I gave him Maywa Denki Award. The Grand Prize winning work "Revival" by Tomohiro Kimura (On the theme "Cities that breathe") This was the best work among all the entries in terms that the artist´s overall skills dominated in this work. This was obvious by the fact that he worked hard on "creating a picturesque setting." This was made possible because he started out interpreting and understanding the given theme very well. I think it is a wonderful piece of art. The Excellence Award "Breath of A City" by Norihiro Fujiwaka (On the theme "Cities that breathe") I thought this work was like a piece cut out of an animation production. Its motif itself looked rather familiar; however, there was more to it than just that. The "speed" within this screen is well calculated; the smoke coming out of the monuments at Bamiyan is giving the entire picture a distorting image. Such detailed work tells much about the creator, who actually used his craft man-like techniques to make it. I like it. "Feeling Sign" by Takefumi Yoshii (On the theme "Traveling Heart") This artwork is made possible probably because of the "lightness" that the computer screen has, that is, its simplicity. I don´t think this work would have been done this way if Mr Yoshii tried the same thing with a brush. The picture is the very outcome of computer monitor´s simplistic characteristics, and it is very well done. The work seems to be suitable as a decor in your room, or perhaps for a CD jacket. I think the best part of this work is the way the artist used his tool as naturally as he breathes air. "the festival" by Yuji Higa (On the theme "Throb of Festival") The title of this art, "It is festival, an exclamation mark!" delivers the artist´s attitude in which he wasn´t thinking too deeply about anything to start working on this! Actually, such a cheerful force, rather than a deep thought, was the best part of this work. It´s important to find at least one of these kinds, isn´t it... What I mean is that I picked this work because such a work shows an important part of our life, especially in "Nippon" which is currently filled with under-siege mentality. Junior Section Please go ahead and play, and enter your work... by discarding your thought that you have to create something in the computer screen, because it´s a digital art. Create something with the force that is strong enough to play succer while kicking a computer! I would like to see entries that are simply outcomes of playing around with computers; that would be powerful, playful and good. |
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| [Biography] | |||
| Apr. 14th, 1967: Born in Hyogo Prefecture Educational Background Mar. 1993:The Department of Arts Study, Postgraduate Course, Tsukuba University, Awarded Master's Degree Professional Career May 1993 - Mar. 2001: Vice President of Maywa Denki Apr. 2001- present: President of Maywa Denki (succeeded on Masamichi Tosa's retirement) Maywa Denki is an art unit produced by Nobumichi Tosa.It was named after the company that his father used to run bygone days. The costume is designed as a typical working uniform of Japanese electric stores, symbolizing small/medium-sized enterprises that had once supported Japan's economy during its high-growth period. URL: http://www.maywadenki.com/ |
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Yojiro Shirakawa Hakuhodo Bureau of i-Media |
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| [Comment] | |||
| [Overall Evaluation] The attempt of this year was to give applicants more specific themes: Cities that breathe, Throb of Festival, Traveling Heart, which, I feel, turned out to be a rather negative as it was made too difficult or complicated. Technically speaking, I am extremely amazed by the incredible improvement. It is safe to say that, we have achieved, to a certain degree, one of our original goals in starting this DCA competition, which was to contribute to the improvement in art expression with a use of digital techniques. However, it is also important to point out that what makes a difference between a good work and a better one is its power of expression, and proposal. In this regard, there are a noticeable number of art pieces that are dominated by techniques. I would like more entries that carry a strong message submitted. [Comments on each artwork] The Grand Prize winning work "Revival" by Tomohiro Kimura (On the theme "Cities that breathe") The winner from this year is Mr. Kimura, for whom winning the Grand Prize is second time around. If possible, as a screener, it would be better that a variety of people win the award. This artwork, however, has the force strong enough to break through such a silent filter, as well as the excellent techniques in expression. Not only that, but the work gave us screeners new perspectives as to what should be the standard in the award selection process. While this piece of artwork does reflect the "current" era, I would like Mr. Kimura to work even harder, and hope that, he will create another work which anticipates the "future" for the next competition. The Excellence Award "Breath of A City" by Norihiro Fujiwaka (On the theme "Cities that breathe") It is a work created around a theme of light. It is a powerful art, which is well calculated in its expression. I would like to see the artist further develop his conceptual work. "Feeling Sign" by Takefumi Yoshii (On the theme "Traveling Heart") Inside the youthful heart, or mantra, is well drawn. The heart that is feeling fresh, yet scared... but destined to move forward towards tomorrow. Your determination is very well expressed in this work. Please, treasure such a sentiment of yours and keep your creating activity moving forward. "the festival" by Yuji Higa (On the theme "Throb of Festival") Festival is here! Wasshoi! Wasshoi! The force of hand-painting, using a canvas called "digital," is spurting out from this work. It does not matter what you draw your picture on. It´s the expression that matters. While it´s important to develop a new technique, I like artwork like this one, too. Junior Section As for the Junior Section, it was a disappointment to find very few entries this year. All the youngster out there, don´t take it too seriously! It is okay to draw something like a postcard, or a simple illustration. Anything goes with the DCA, as long as it´s a digital picture. Please send in your work, something you want to express with your PC. |
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| [Biography] | |||
| Manager of Interactive Media Division, Hakuhodo Inc. Graduated from Waseda University, Law Department Extensive experience in planning and production of films, plays and television programming. Key figure in establishment of New Media Department in 1980 at one of Japan's major advertising agencies. Oversees planning and production of software for video disks, cable television, satellite broadcasts, character broadcasting (for the hearing impaired), and high-vision as well as interactive video exhibition systems; directs production and publishing of video business. Currently involved with network-related business, including production of multimedia software systems for schools, Internet home pages and game software and also a member of Okinawa content Business support Committee. |
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Kevin Meyerson Rainbow Japan, Inc., CEO Rainbow Partners, Inc., CEO |
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| [Comment] | |||
| The 7th Annual Toray Digital Creative Awards was interesting. As Digital Art has become more and more mainstream, the number of submissions from creators of more traditional art styles has increased. In the past, traditional media style entrants were quite rare; the exception. This year, however, traditional styled works were the rule and high tech, traditional (?!?!) digital works are becoming more rare. Personally, I kind the more ultra high tech, 3D CG style works. This year's winner, Tomohiro Kimura's "Saisei" was fascinating. The detail in which Mr. Kimura was able to create within the depths of his turbulent world are beautiful and disturbing. The confusion of the destruction and rebirth of the city and the people who inhabit was apparent to me, a long term Tokyo metropolis dweller. I am looking forward to next year!! |
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| [Biography] | |||
| President of Rainbow Japan Inc. After growing up in Detroit, Michigan, and graduation from Arizona State University, Kevin moved to Japan in 1988 to work for information magazine publisher Recruit. After a two year plus stint at the publisher he founded Rainbow Japan Inc. in 1991. Rainbow Japan has over the past 11 years grown to be Japan's most successful digital media production company producing websites, DVDs, CD-ROMs and other digital media for Japan's largest corporations. In 2000 Kevin co-founded Rainbow Partners Inc. which focuses on licensing meta data technology and contents to consumer electronics manufacturers. Rainbow Partners is the Japan reseller for world leading technology companies such as Gracenote and OCTiV. |
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Hiroshi Hamaguchi General Manager, Corporate Communication Dept. Toray Industries Inc. |
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| [Comment] | |||
| [Overall Evaluation] The Annual Toray Digital Creation Awards (DCA) marked its 7th year and enjoyed the most total number of entries since its inception. This shows how popular CG art has become. We are very happy, as the host of this competition, to have found such a high-quality collection of artworks with a variety of different styles and approaches, from all over the world, and so many countries, 16, including Japan. Unfortunately, we received very few entries in the Junior Section, however. For the next year, we are really looking forward to young people´s cheerful, fun artworks filled with young energy. Our goal is to be of help promote the field of digital art, by making DCA the kind of art contest for which anyone that has interest in digital art can enter his/her work without hesitation. We will be waiting for many entries from all over the world, for the next year, again. |
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| [Biography] | |||
| General Manager of Corporate Communications Dept., Toray Industries, Inc. | |||
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| [ Screening Committee Chairman Comment | Screening Committee Members Comments | Winning Entries Gallery ] |
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| Copyright(c) 2003 Toray Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. |