Screening Committee Chairman Comment |
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Yoichiro Kawaguchi
Screening Committee Chairman
(CG artist, Professor at the Graduate School, University of Tokyo) |
| Overall Evaluation |
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There were many fresh and interesting works that I have never seen before. It is really great that there were no works that were similar to those last year. The Grand Prize for "saikousei" by Kouyuu Oishi received overwhelming praise from among the entries because of its depth of expression and different take on things. I think there were many prize-winning works that adopted a view through a different kind of filter rather than imitating things that can be seen with human eyes.
Perhaps because the themes selected this year were interesting, there was a diversity of self-introspection among exhibitors regarding the themes, so it was enjoyable to judge the works.
I am really looking forward to next year as well, and hope there will again be a wide range of works.
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| Review of Award-Winning Works |
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*Grand Prize
The Grand Prize winner "saikousei" by Kouyuu Oishi is the first of its kind, a completely new style of work. It is a particularly new idea for the artist to place his own imaginary world into a time-based concept, rather than just finish with a simple X-ray-like picture of a stag beetle. The work evokes a strong scientific interest in the birth and change of a creature's structure and shape, featuring an acute power of observation similar to that of Leonardo da Vinci.
In particular, the changing process of a stag beetle is impressive. It is very interesting that the feelings towards this creature are so well expressed from a scientific viewpoint.
The greatest features of the work are its close observation and imaginative power regarding form. This may be the mainstay of this picture. This fresh and unprecedented work received overwhelming praise as a magnificent work centered in between art and science.
*Excellence Award
For Masumi Kawasaki's work entitled "strange impression," which won the Excellence Award for the theme of "Aroma/Smell," the impact of the mental aspect is interesting because of her expression of time in a person's past rather than simply copying things which can be seen. It is also very interesting because of the drawing of abstract things within the memory, rather than concrete objects.
The work that won the Excellence Award for the theme of "Happiness/Easiness/Music" was by Tamara Agapova. We enjoyed this work because of its expression of a sense of musical rhythm and the painting aspect displayed exquisite taste. The rhythmic sense of the screen composition was created through meticulous attention to detail.
Eri Kubota's work entitled "I'm readying now." which won the Excellence Award for the theme of "Omen/Trillion," is exceptional in the sense that the texture of each expression is drawn so meticulously. And we feel warm affection for the idea and the pattern of the face, which is almost too cute. The carefully and individually drawn cloth and wrapping paper patterns, beard, hair etc. provide a high degree of density to the finished work and look superb.
*Special Recognition Award
Two works were selected for the Special Recognition Award.
Toshie Ebashi's work entitled "kuishinbo" for the theme of "Aroma/Smell" depicts a very happy children's world but the texture of the bird's feathers etc. is very precise. The slushy feel to the background is also fresh. It will be interesting to see how her character develops if she extends this expression to make it more garish in future. But compared to other works, it lacks something with regard to solidity and its rhythmic and spatial sense. It remains to be seen whether she turns this weakness into a strength or whether she overcomes it to improve her skill. If she wants to be a creator, finding the direction which nobody else has is the hidden secret.
Atsumi Kurotaki's award-winning work for the theme of "Happiness/Easiness/Music," entitled "The Dresses which my Mother loved so much," is a very impressive work that attracted the screening committees' attention. It is also very good technically speaking. The artist is apparently a printmaker. The red on black ground and the gradation of the ground reveal a printmaker's sensibilities. For a person 69 years of age to create such a work suggests that she must be quite stylish. With such great technique we hope she persists in the future. |
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| Scenes of the judging process |
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| Yoichiro Kawaguchi, a Screening Committee chairman |
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Nobumichi Tosa, member of the Screening Committee, looks intently to judge the works. |
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| Saori Kanda, a Screening Committee member, reading the description of one of the works. |
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About 700 works on display at the screening site. |
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| Lively conversations about the works. |
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Screening committee about to make final decisions. |
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Members of the Screening Committee in front of the Grand Prize-winning work;
from left, Mr. Tosa, Ms. Kanda, Mr. Kawaguchi, and Mr. Mayerson. |
