Visiting The Hakone Open-Air Museum

"Sphere within a Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro

I wasn't expecting to see any contemporary art on my trip to Japan. Ceramics, sure. Laquer, definitely. But artwork by internationally known artists, not so much. And so I was surprised -- and delighted -- when we visited the Open-Air Museum in Hakone. It was a fun addition to our itinerary. 

"Sphere within a Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro gets my vote for the most striking work we encountered. The cracked shell of the orb represents the fragile and fractured state of human civilization, politics and the earth. The cityscape of an ideal city is more hopeful,  

Pomodoro is an artist new to me. I wasn't surprised to learn that he began his career as a set designer. "Sphere within a Sphere" draws the viewer into another world just as a good set design does. It's from a series of works, one of which was given to the United Nations by the Italian government. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in the City. For now, we can all see it by clicking here. Whle the work is intended to be hopeful, it feels as broken to me as the world in which are living. Moving on...

"The Weeper" by Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne (1986) 

I suspect you've had the experience of learning a new word and soon thereafter seeing it again. It's always surprisingly satisfying, but it also makes me wonder if I just wasn't paying attention before. I had a similar experience when coming upon this sculpture by Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne so soon after "discovering" their work in the Met Costume Art exhibit. I am officially enamored of their art.

The placard described the work this way: "Just as Narcissus from Greek mythology fell in love with his own reflection and was reborn as a flower of the same name, this angel rests its cheek near the surface of the water. Despite shedding endless tears of unrequited love, a smile seems to play on its lips.." Despite the title -- and the darker tones near the eyes that I now understand are tears -- the work didn't strike me as somber. Instead, its beauty emitted a feeling of restfulness. Either way, it's perfect for a sculpture garden with the live greenery as hair. For more on this artistic duo, click here. 

"Symphonic Sculpture" by Gabriel Loire

Gabriel Loire's "Symphonic Sculpture" was a true art experience. I was going to say it was like climbing inside a 59' stained glass window, but we actually DID climb inside a 59' tall stained glass window. It was very cool. As a bonus, visitors who make it to the top are rewarded with views of the sculpture garden and Hakone. 

It didn't surprise me to learn that Loire spent time in Chartres given the cathedral-like feel of "Symphonic Sculpture." What did surprise me was learning that he worked in other mediums for a ten year period for legal reasons. What? 

When Loire was a young artist, he trained and then worked at the studio of Charles Lorin Glass Workshop. Over time, Loire began to feel artistically limited by the structure of the workshop and decided to strike out on his own. But there was an issue. He had signed a non-compete relating to the creation of art using the stained glass techinques he learned at the workshop. And so Loire worked in a variety of other artistic mediums during this period, creating ceramics, illustrations and furniture. I'm sure that work is beautiful and that developing skills in these other mediums ultimately strengthened his artistic practice, but I still think he could have used a good lawyer. For a bit more on Loire and his art, click here.

"Close III" by Antony Gormley (1993)

I'll leave you with "Close III" by Antony Gormley. As my trip to Japan draws to a close, I can relate to the feeling conveyed by this work -- or so I thought until I read the description. "A number of artistic interpretations are possible with this sculpture: perhaps it alludes to the weight of one's own body or to the movement of the planet; perhaps it's an image of celestial bodies communing with us, or a symbol of fear being exposed to the harsh light of the universe." Whoa. I was thinking more plain old fatigue, both physical and emotional given the state of our world. 

Gormley is an artist whose work I've seen before at the Norton Museum of Art. (Click here to see that work.) It's hard not to interact with his work, but I thought it might be a bit impolite to lie down beside this sculpture and recreate the pose. The Japanese are a bit more buttoned up than this American. 

Antony Gormley in plaster

I was interested to learn that Gormley often uses his own body to cast his sculptures. It's a unique style of using a found object. I like it. I came upon an article about Gromley using "Body as Place" that you can read by clicking here if you want a more intellectual look at his work than what's on offer here. What I will say is that creating these works is a bit dicey. Gormely has to be coated in Vaseline before being wrapped in a plaster with only two small breathing holes left exposed. About an hour later, an assistant chisels the plaster open -- very carefully -- and Gormley slips out. It is crazy. For more on Gormley and his art, click here. 

With that, I'll say sayonara for now. Up next: Our encounter with two geishas.