At Art Fair Tokyo 2019 I stopped by the booth for Toshiya Masuda’s solo show “Nostalgic Future.”
The presenter was the gallery Mito Chu Trading.
Toshiya Masuda “Nostalgic Future”
Toshiya Masuda, born in 1977, makes work that resonates strongly with viewers of the same generation.
The piece below is Converse’s classic sneaker “All Star.” High-tops were a trend for sure.
Like the early Famicom, these are three-dimensional works rendered in chunky pixels.
The scale of the pixels is pitched just right.
As the title suggests, this is a “Low pixel” (low-resolution) three-dimensional work.
The pieces are made by stacking slab-cut clay in rings, then carefully carving them to hone the shape into a fully three-dimensional form.
* You can grasp the process by watching the YouTube clip below.
The dot resolution is coarse, but every detail down to the soles is accurately rendered.
Toshiya Masuda’s works are, as the phrase “pixel-art ceramics” suggests, made of ceramic.
The precision needed to shape them so meticulously is remarkable.
Another point worth noting is the beauty of the coloring.
The carefully applied paint delivers clean, LEGO-like colors (many people apparently mistake them for LEGO).
Even when you nail focus in a photograph, the pixel-art still teases the eye with a slight visual dissonance.
Toshiya Masuda, “Low pixel CG ‘Leisure'”A range of works on view
If I could, I would love to have touched and held the pieces to feel the ceramic — but that pleasure belongs to the collectors who own them, so I held back.
I found myself wishing I could see many more works.
Overview
Art Fair Tokyo 2019
Venue: Tokyo International Forum, Hall E
Dates: March 7 (Thu) – March 10 (Sun), 2019, 4 days (last admission 30 minutes before daily closing)
Press View: March 7 (Thu) 13:00–14:00
Private View: March 7 (Thu) 14:00–16:00
Vernissage: March 7 (Thu) 16:00–20:00
Public View: March 8 (Fri) & 9 (Sat) 11:00–20:00, March 10 (Sun) 11:00–17:00
Admission: Advance / 1DAY Passport 4,000 yen (tax incl.); Door / 1DAY Passport 5,000 yen (tax incl.) (elementary schoolers and younger admitted free when accompanied by an adult)
가능하다면 작품을 만지고 들어 도자기의 질감을 느껴보고 싶었지만, 그건 작품을 소유한 컬렉터의 즐거움이니 참았습니다.
더 많은 작품을 보고 싶다는 생각이 들었습니다.
개요
Art Fair Tokyo 2019
회장: Tokyo International Forum, Hall E
회기: 2019년 3월 7일(목) 〜 3월 10일(일), 4일간 (최종 입장은 매일 종료 30분 전)
프레스 뷰: 3월 7일(목) 13:00–14:00
프라이빗 뷰: 3월 7일(목) 14:00–16:00
베르니사주: 3월 7일(목) 16:00–20:00
퍼블릭 뷰: 3월 8일(금)·9일(토) 11:00–20:00, 10일(일) 11:00–17:00
입장료: 사전권 / 1DAY 패스포트 4,000엔(부가세 포함), 당일권 / 1DAY 패스포트 5,000엔(부가세 포함) (초등학생 이하는 성인 동반 시에 한해 무료 입장)
