 Roulette No.1 1964  KIKUHATA Mokuma (Nagasaki/1935-) cashew, enamel, object, acrylic board on board 112.4x62.5cm |
Kikuhata appeared in the late 1950s as a member of the avant-garde art group the "Kyushu-ha," which was active in Fukuoka at that time. During this period, Kikuhata absorbed the group's philosophy about denying existing authority and bringing "art" down into the realm of everyday life and discovered the art of taking everyday objects and raising or elevating them to the status of sanctified "art." This objet d'art is an important work which sheds light on the artist's ideas from this period. After finishing this work, Kikuhata left the "Kyushu-ha" to pursue his career as an artist in solitude. From the Geocentrism series of the 1980s to the recent Heavenly River series, the dazzling track of paintings left behind by Kikuhata also expose the isolated artist's sincere endeavors. This work is a representative example of Kikuhata's early creations, of which there are not many in existence. |