Making Works for Prairie Pines and Arts AMaize

     This summer, I was invited to make outdoor sculptures / installations at Prairie Pines in Maize KS for a music concert series called,"Chamber Music at the Barn".  Prairie Pines has beautiful gardens with a stone bridge, ponds and waterfalls.  I fell in love with this place immediately as I was shown around.

     I was attracted to two places for my works.  One is this site with a waterfall.  It is an enclosed area surrounded by trees.  From the top of the waterfall to the bottom, there is about 10 foot height difference.  The water flows into a stream which is about 30 feet long.  I was inspired by the topography and the sense of serenity of this area.

     
 

     Another site is here with a lone tree in a green lawn.

     Instead of the material of threads that I often use for my installation, I decided to use monofilaments and wires for this project to make my work durable outdoors.  These materials led me to make shapes of leaves.  Here is a sketch for the elements.

       This is an illustration of the planned image.

     After I got the approval for my proposal, I started making elements of leaves with monofilaments and wires at home.  The technique is to tie knots just like I did with my previous works.

Chamber Music at the Barn
Date: June 23 - July 29, 2016
Place: Prairie Pines
4055 N. Tyler Rd. Maize, KS, 67101
More music concerts Information here.

Art Byway Along Kansas 177 and Publications

     A vision of making an "art byway" along Kansas 177 is growing and taking shape.  There are four contemporary art galleries in this area, which might be unexpected in such a remote place.  One of them is the Bank Art Space, where my show is going on right now.  The other three galleries are The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs, Symphony in the Flint Hills Gallery, and The Volland Store.   A plan of making a sculpture path is also underway.  Recently, the story of this vision and some new movements of this plan were written and published in Kansas City Star newspaper.  A color photo of my installation from my show was included in this article.

     Another publication of  my works which happened through this show was in a book called "Symphony in the Flint Hills Journey, The Field Journal 2016".   My outdoor installation "Prairie Origami Cranes and Nest" and my painting  "Sojourning #11" were included in this issue.  This book can be purchased through this page.

     I made another trip to Matfield Green to visit my show and to explore the area.  This time, I went all the way up to Alma in Wabaunsee County, where The Volland Store Gallery, one of the galleries along Kansas 177, is located.  A show titled "Paper Giants" was going on.  This show is up until May 29th.  

The Volland Store

     While the pasture is so green, I hope you could visit this area and enjoy the landscape and four galleries.  

Shirotaeno - Prairie Journey
The Bank Art Space
Reed St, Kansas Scenic Byway 177, Matfield Green KS
(620)-753-3451
Date: April 9 - June 5, 2016 Fri, Sat, &  Sun. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Opening Reception at The Bank Art Space

Thank you to those of you who came to the opening reception of my show at The Bank Art Space  last Saturday!  Matfield Green has a beautiful art community.  

This place is loved by people from near and far.  

My "A Thread X A Thread" with the red pillars at The Bank Art Space

So thankful that many threads were added again. 

A newly-wed couple came and tied a knot. 

Ton and Ans, the directors of the Bank Art Space

I am so thankful for their positive thinking and believing in my show.

The controlled burning has just done in this site for the future sculpture path in Matfield Green.

Some new grass is coming out.

 Dark colored prairie after the controlled burning

The show is up till June 5, 2016.  Please stop by if you are in this area.  

Shirotaeno - Prairie Journey
The Bank Art Space
Reed St, Kansas Scenic Byway 177, Matfield Green KS
(620)-753-3451
Date: April 9 - June 5, 2016 Fri, Sat, &  Sun. 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Exploring Matfield Green and the Surrounding Area 来たるマットフィールドグリーンでのショーに向けて(4) マットフィールドグリーンと周辺の土地巡り

     Life is like a journey and I am like a traveler and a sojourner on the earth.  I consider my artistic life as a journey as well.  Not just showing my work at shows, but it is meaningful for me to explore the places where my art takes.  Since I will have an opportunity to have a show in Matfield Green, KS from April through the end of May, I have been exploring this little city in the Flint Hills and its surrounding area.

　人生は旅のようで、この世では自分は旅人で寄留者のようなものだと思っています。アートをしながらの人生も旅をしているようなもので、ショーをしに行く先々では作品を展示するだけでなく、その場所を見て回ることができれば、と思っています。今回４月から５月末までマットフィールドグリーンでショーをさせてもらうこの機会に、フリントヒルズに位置するこの小さな村と、その周辺の土地を訪れてみました。

 Spring in Matfield Green, KS

 Old school with goats

 Trains in Matfield Green.  Trains make me feel at home.

 Pear trees are in full bloom.

 Old church in Bazaar, KS, about 6 miles north of Matfield Green

 Old school in Bazaar

 Scenic byway between Matfield Green and Cottonwood Falls on Highway 177

  Found an old one room school house near Florence, Marion, Co.

   This school had only two students when it was closed 70 years ago.  

Flint Hills Market & Bakery in Florence

 On a big table, saw some cards with portraits of historical people in KS.

This lady kindly added threads to my thread piece.

Apparently, I like old buildings.  Florence, KS

     I've been living in Kansas for 20 years, but I had not explored the rural Kansas this much before.  Many places are losing population.  I saw many abandoned houses. This area is so beautiful and could become like a big tourist place if they try to promote it, but this serenity and quietness is priceless.

　カンザスに住んでもう２０年になりますが、こんな風にカンザスの田舎を見て回ったのは初めてです。ほとんどの町で人口が減少し、朽ち落ちた廃家が見られます。とてもきれいな場所なので、観光に力を入れれば多くの観光客が来るようになるかもしれないような所ですが、この清々しさと静けさは何物にも代えがたいものがある、と思いました。

Shirotaeno - Prairie Journey
Bank Art Space
Reed St, Kansas Scenic Byway 177, Matfield Green KS
(620)-753-3451
Date: April 9 - June 5, 2016

Upcoming Show in Matfield Green, KS 来たるマットフィールドグリーンでのショーに向けて(3)

     Since the date of the show in Matfield Green is approaching, my friend and I had a day trip to Matfield Green to shoot photos of my installation "A Thread X (Meets) A Thread" outdoors and to get inspiration out of it.

　マットフィールドグリーンでのショーの日が近づいているので、友人と一緒にマットフィールドグリーンに日帰り旅行に行き、屋外で私のインスタレーション作品「糸と糸が出会う時」の写真を撮り、そこからインスピレーションを得ることにしました。

      It was a nice sunny day, but so windy that it was not easy to install the piece.  I was blown by the wind, got tangled in the threads, and fell from the ladder.  I barely made it to take some photos and video.

　天気の良い日でしたが、風が強かったので、取り付けは大変でした。風に吹かれて糸に絡まり、はしごから落ちたりしました。写真やビデオをとるのはやっとのことでした。

     The scene reminded me of a word "Shirotaeno".  Shirotaeno is the word used for classical Japanese poetry in association with words such as "white cloth", "white sleeve", or "white cloud".  There is a famous waka (poem) by Jito Tenno (Jito Empress) using this word.

　 この景色を見ていると、「しろたえの」という言葉を思い出した。 「しろたえの」とは、「白布」「白袖」「白雲」にかかる枕詞です。 この言葉を用いた持統天皇の有名な和歌があります。

持統天皇 春過ぎて 夏来にけらし 白妙の 衣ほすてふ 天の香具山    Jito Tenno    Haru sugite    Natsu kinikerashi    Shirotae no    Koromo hosucho    Ama no Kaguyama

   Empress Jito

   The spring has passed
   And the summer comes again;
   For the silk-white robes,
   So they say, are spread to dry
   On the Mount of Heaven's Perfume."

     "Mount of Heaven's Perfume" is a hill called Amano Kaguyama in Nara, the old capital of Japan. The old name of Nara is Yamato.  It is considered to be the origin place of the Yamato people, the native ethnic group of the people of Japan.

 　Mount of Heaven's Perfume「天の香りの山」とは、日本の奈良県にある天香久山のことです。奈良は日本の古い都です。奈良の旧名は大和。大和は大和民族の発祥の地とされています。

      Asukamura, the village surrounded by hills and mountains including Amano Kaguyama is a specially preserved historic site. I have been there many years ago.  It looks like an untouched old Japanese village. This similarity may be one of the reasons why I remembered this poem in this site at Matfield Green in Flint Hills which is a hilly and untouched place in Kansas.

　天香久山を含め、丘や山に囲まれた明日香村は特別歴史保存地区となっています。私も昔行ったことがありますが、明日香村はまるで手付かずの古い日本の村のようです。カンザスの手付かずの丘陵地帯であるフリントヒルズにある村、マットフィールドグリーンのこの場所で、この和歌を思い出したのはそういったこの二つの場所の類似性が理由なのかもしれません。

     I wish I could do a show in Asuka Village someday.

いつか明日香村でもショーができるといいな、とふと思いました。

                        

Shirotaeno - Prairie Journey
Bank Art Space
Reed St, Kansas Scenic Byway 177, Matfield Green KS
(620)-753-3451
Date: April 9 - May 29, 2016