(English follows after Japanese)

《自立しない人》は彫刻自身では立つことができない。壁にもたれかかることで初めて立てる彫刻。それは「自然な彫刻、自然な人体とは何か」その探求とアトリエでの環境との関わりの中で生まれた。

　数年前、個人のアトリエを造った。そのアトリエで初めて生まれた彫刻が《自立しない人》だった。そこは林のような場所で、人が立つことすら難しく、ましてや彫刻を立たせることは無理な土地だった。まずは木を切り、平らな地面を作らなくてはならなかったが、それにはまず「土留め」という作業をしなければいけないことを初めて知った。その時、今まで生きてきた場所はすべて誰かによって土留めがされ、すでに平らにならされた世界に住み続けてきたのだということに気づいた。

　最終的には周りの人々、家族の助けにより、石を置けて、作業ができるだけの場所が出来上がったが、ここで自分がいかに自立できていないのかを知ったのだった。

　さて、ここで何を作ろうかと考えていたこの時、私は自然な人体彫刻とは何かを同時に考えていた。彫刻で人体というと、しっかりとした台座に、かっこよくポーズをとっているものが多く感じるだろうし、実際大学等では重心をとり自立している人体を作ることを学んできた。しかしそのような人体彫刻ははたして自然だろうか、我々は自立して立っていると言えるのだろうか。そして自立とは何だろうか。

　自分が立つことすら困難なこの土地で、彫刻を作る。私は彫刻が立たなくても良いのではないかと思った。そうして、壁にもたれかかり自立できる彫刻を想像しながら《自立しない人》を作った。それは私が初めて自然と思える彫刻だった。

　《自立しない人》が Gallery Pictor の壁にもたれて初めて立ったのは約一年前、その時、熊谷晋一郎さんの言葉に出会う。「自立とは依存先を増やすこと」。それは、私が《自立しない人》で伝えたいことと同じように思ったし、豊かな考え方だと感じた。 私が自然と思える彫刻が作れたのは、アトリエの土地や木々、素材の石、周りの人々に頼ることが できたからだと思う。

　今展では《自立しない人》の新たな試みと、そのカケラたち《fragment》シリーズが、ギャラリーの壁を頼るとこで立つことができるだろう。皆さまにも彫刻たちのその姿をぜひ見てもらいたいと思う。

石川 直也

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Person Not Independent cannot stand on its own. It is a sculpture that can stand only by leaning against a wall. It was born out of the search for “what is natural sculpture and the natural human body” and his relationship with the environment in his studio.

Several years ago, I built a private studio. The first sculpture born in that studio was Person Not Independent. The land was covered with trees, making it difficult for a person to even stand, much less for a sculpture.  Trees had to be cut and a level ground had to be created, but I learned for the first time that a process called “earth retaining is required at first. I realized that every place I have ever lived in has been dirt-packed by someone else, and that I have been living in a world that has already been flattened. It was only then that I realized that all the places I had lived had already been leveled by someone else.

Eventually, with the help of the people around me and my family, I had enough space to place stones and work, but I knew then that I was not independent.

Now, at this time I was thinking about what to make here, and I was simultaneously thinking about what a natural human body sculpture is. In sculpture, the human body is often thought of as a coolly posed figure on a solid base, and in fact, in college and educational institute, students have learned to make human bodies that are centered and free-standing. But is such a sculpture of the human body really natural ? Can we say that we are standing on our own feet? And what does independence mean?

I make sculptures on this land where it was difficult for me to even stand. I thought that my sculpture would not have to stand. I then created Person Not Independent, imagining a sculpture that could stand by leaning against a wall. It was the first sculpture that seemed natural to me.

It was about a year ago that Person Not Independent first stood leaning against the wall of Gallery Pictor. It was then that I came across the words of Mr. Shinichiro Kumagai, who said, “independence means increasing the number of people on whom you depend.” I thought that was similar to what I wanted to convey in Person Not Independent and it was a positive way of thinking. I was able to create human sculptures that seemed natural to me because I was able to rely on the land, trees around my studio, stones as materials, and people around me.

I would like to invite everyone to see the Person Not Independent and the fragment series with new attempt will stand by leaning against the walls of the gallery. 

Naoya Ishikawa

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