2014年3月中旬、芸大前の喫茶店のテラス席で、広報物デザインを進めるべく最初の打ち合わせをした。会期まで１ヶ月半を切る猶予ないタイミングであったが、久々の共同に期待する気持ちが勝った。
ACACの特徴的な環境を何とか活かしたいという前談の後、「展覧会タイトルには“相対的”という言葉を使いたい」と切り出した。続けて“絶対温度”と“相対温度”の違いを例に解き、作品と空間、空間と環境とで「“相対的”な関係を作れないか」と話を始めた。
計画もさることながら、私は何より「相対的」という作家の言回しに、出会ったころから変わらない彼の態度と作品双方に通じる“國府イズム”を直感し、本格化する予感に心踊った。
作家の言動は良く言えば慎重、悪く言えば優柔不断。それこそ“絶対的”な物言いを避け、多重的、ときに自虐的な態度は正に“相対的”で、周囲に対して難解な印象すら与えた。それでも私はそのナイーブさに惹かれ、詰まるところの彼の判断やセンスを信用し、何よりそこから生まれてくる作品をとても愛した。
作品はどれもこの世界の現実を内包しつつ、並走する別の世界を現前に創り出し、それらを相対させながら、そのどちらということに結論せず、作家自身がただ中にいることを示すその姿勢は、思い返せば彼の学生時代に既に築かれていたスタイルであった。
『國府理展 相対温室』出展作品を巡り
《自動車冷蔵庫》 1998年
外気との“温度差”により腐敗の進行を遅らせる“冷蔵庫”の原理を自動車にそのまま導入した初期作で、現代社会との時差の狭間に思惑にひたる装置である。1970年式ホンダ“Life”型冷蔵庫の中にいる作家に、國府理そのものを見ることができる。「時の流れは一方向じゃないと思う」。作家が造った初期の“温室”であり、『相対温室』展の趣旨に合致しているため出展を決めた。
《虹の高地》 2008年
自動車をひっくり返し自然の風景をそこに出現させる、文明と自然の反転を試みた作品。作家の制作には一貫して冷蔵庫や自動車など日常的な機械部品がそのまま用いられ、その機能や本質に対する考察を、解体再構築することで観察するという方法が用いられる。そのため作品には身近な現実と異世界とが同時に共存することになる。〈水のテラス〉上に設置された作品は、水鏡面の反射効果で、より鮮明にそれらを相対させることに成功していた。
《Typical Biosphere》 2009−2010年
森の中にある〈展望デッキ〉への設置を予定し、そのアイデアドローイングを広報物のキービジュアルとして採用した。3次元の造形力が持ち前の作家にとって、作品写真でなくドローイングの起用が適切か互いに迷ったが、この時点で『相対温室』の意図を最も端的に表していることからあえて使うことに決めた。重要だったのはこの場では構造を反転させ、内部に植物をとりこまず空っぽにしたこと。作品の外がむしろ“温室”であるという設定で、この絵（ルビ＝プラン）ではそこ（周囲の鮮やかな緑）が強調されている。
《相対温室》 2014年
美しい森の中にある建築物自体に「温室」のイメージを想起し、“外”の自然環境を人工的に“内”に再現、建築物を作品の外郭とし、近隣世界の縮図を構築しながら起こるべく諸現象に作家が対峙する新作。過去作《Typical Biosphere》の構造を拡張させ、さらにその内部には《未来の家》（2013年）や他、出展作品を含み、環境、建築、作品、作者とで、幾重もの入れ子構造を成す、その中心に《相対温室》は設定された。
街から雪解けの森を経てギャラリーへ、帰りに同じ道を経る鑑賞者はそのどこかに“作品”を見つけただろうか？
初回の打ち合わせで得た直感はこのように見事に完成していた。作品《相対温室》はそのスケールの大きさと完成度から単体で作家の最高傑作と捉えられるかもしれない。しかしそのことよりむしろ、展覧会『相対温室』を計画する中で、作家自身がこれまでの活動を貫く──事象を同時に相対させ、作者が作中に参加し、それを俯瞰する状況を創作とする──『相対温室』という基軸を見い出した意義の方が遥かに大きい。
確信はそれだけではなさそうで、冷蔵庫、自動車、温室、植物、新旧交えたこれら出展作に深く関係している重要な要素である“水”への再考察もまた深みを増している。
1991年、國府理は水を凍らせてみせる作品《Fridge》を制作する。冷蔵庫の機構を用いて水が凍る現象自体を抽出した作品で「温めるのは何か物を燃やせば簡単だけど冷やすのは相当難しい。冷蔵庫の発明は機械に頼って生きる人類の象徴。それは自然に逆らうことでもあって」と私に語った。冷蔵庫に人類の自然への抗いを見抜いた作家の洞察に感心させられたが、以後も彼はそれら文明の矛盾自体を自身の存在に重ね合わせ、愛でるかのように真摯に対峙し続けた。
それから20年を経て、「──冷やし続けなければ暴走してしまうエネルギーの存在、そして最先端と言われた科学技術で稼動させていたシステムを止めるものが唯一まったく私たちに身近な普通の水であるという事実──」と、事態を中和（ルビ＝ニュートラル）へと導く水への認識を更新させている。
出展作を追えば、──時を遅らせ、事象をうつし、生命の循環させ、熱を冷ます──作家は“水”についてもう一度考え始め、文明と自然とを結ぶ要（ルビ＝ヒント）として作品への転換を積極的に模索し始めた。
《Endless Rain》 2014年
「この期に及んでこんなん思いついたんやけど…」4月半ば、2度目にして最後となるミーティングでアイデアスケッチを私に見せた。蛍光染料を含んだ毒々しい緑の雨は周囲の新緑を写す文明の涙か。あからさまに批評めいた表現にも躊躇せず挑むこれまでにない彼の威勢に驚いた。「怪作にして傑作である」と作家自身が語った作品だ。
國府理はここへきて作家としての原点をようやく自覚し、現時点での到達点をいつになく確信しながら、次なる展開への挑戦をも果たした。青森の恵まれた環境と自作に囲まれ、至福の中にあったことは展覧会を見れば明かであった。
彼のこれまでのこと、苦悩する姿を知る私としてはこの成果が何よりも嬉しく、胸が熱くなる。
それゆえ私自身は半身を失われたような思いで現在を過ごしている。私だけでなく、彼に触れた人たち皆がそう感じている。それは我々の矛盾を彼が背負うように体現し、尚も創り続ける國府理の姿に自身を相対させていたからだ。彼もまたそのことに自覚的で、そのことに葛藤しながら、喜びの中でその人生を貫いた。
我々は相対し得る一つの人格を失い未だ迷走の中にいる。“國府理”を取り戻さなければならない。
In the middle of March 2014, I attended the first meeting for a public relations design on the terrace seating of a cafe in front of Kyoto City University of Arts. There was just one and a half months until the exhibition with no possibility of extension, but it was the feeling of expectation of a long-term collaboration that was dominant.
After some preliminary discussions about utilizing the characteristic environment of ACAC, he suggested that the title of the exhibition should use the word “relative”. Then after resolving the difference between “absolute temperature” and “relative temperature” as an example, the conversation started on creating a “relative” relationship between a work and the space, and between the space and the environment. Besides this project, I had gained the intuition of “Kokufu-ism” from the artist’s expression of “relative” both from his works and his attitude, which has not changed since my first encounter.
The artist’s words and actions are careful, if viewed positively, or indecisive if viewed negatively. “Absolute” expressions are avoided, multiplicity and at times a masochistic attitude are very much “relative”, that can even give the impression of being difficult to understand by those around him. Still I have been attracted by his naivety, and in the final analysis I trust his judgment and sense, and above all I love the works that he has brought forth.
Each of his works embraces the reality of the world, and in parallel createsa separate world before our eyes. These are brought together, and the artist himself is within these worlds, without concluding in favor of one or the other. As I recall he had already constructed this style in his student days.
Review of the works at the “KOKUFU Osamu Solo Exhibition: Floating Conservatory”
Car Freezer 1998
This initial period work, in which the principle of a “fridge”, which delays the progress of decay by the “temperature difference” with the external air, is introduced as it is into an automobile, is a device that embraces the speculation of the gap in the time difference in modern society. The artist in the 1974s style HONDA “Life” fridge can be seen to be Osamu Kokufu himself. “I think time flows in one direction”. This is a “Conservatory” of the initial period created by the artist, and as it is in agreement with the intention of the “Floating Conservatory” exhibition, it starts the exhibition.
Highland under the Rainbow 2008
This is a work that attempts to reverse civilization and nature, by showing an overturned automobile and a natural landscape. In the artist’s works he consistently uses everyday mechanical objects such as refrigerators or automobiles as they are, and uses the method of observation by dismantling and reconstructing his thoughts regarding their function and essential nature. Therefore in his works familiar facts and other worlds co-exist simultaneously. This work installed ‘Water Terrace’ succeeded in more clearly showing the relativity between these by the reflection effect of the water mirror surface.
Typical Biosphere 2009–2010
There was a plan to install an ‘Observation Deck’ in a forest, and the idea drawing for this was adopted as the key visual for the publicity materials. For the artist who has inherent 3-dimensional imaginative power, we both were unsure whether it was appropriate to use a drawing, and not a photograph of the work. However we decided to use it because at that time it most directly represented the intention of “Floating Conservatory”. What was important was to reflect the structure at this location, with the interior empty with no plants. With the setting that the outside of the work is the “conservatory”, in this drawing the vivid green surroundings are emphasized.
Floating Conservatory 2014
This is a work in which the image of a “conservatory” is evoked by a building itself within a beautiful forest, with the “outside” natural environment artificially reproduced “inside", with the building as the outside contour of the work, the artist confronts several phenomena that should occur while creating a microcosm of the nearby world. The structure of a past work Typical Biosphere is expanded, and Conservation House(2013) and other exhibits are placed in the interior, forming a repeated nested structure with the environment, building, work, and artist, with the
Floating Conservatory set in the center.
Where are the viewers going to see “works” on the road from the street through the snow-melt forest to the gallery, and returning on the same route? The intuition I obtained in the previous meeting was wonderfully complete in this way. Because of the large scale and the degree of finish, the work Floating Conservatory on its own can be considered to be the artist’s greatest work. However the past activities of the artist himself penetrate the plan of the exhibition “Floating Conservatory”, —the artist participates in the work, simultaneously confronting phenomena, and creating the circumstances from this perspective— so the significance of the discovered basis of “Floating Conservatory” is much greater.
But I am convinced that this is not all, new depth is added by the reconsideration of “water”, which is an important element with a deep relationship to the exhibits, fridge, automobile, conservatory, plants, the change of old and new.
In 1991 Osamu Kokufu created the work Fridge in which water could be seen freezing. This work, which abstracted the phenomenon itself of water freezing using the mechanism of a fridge, said to me that “heating is simple if you just burn something, but cooling is quite difficult. The invention of the fridge is a symbol of mankind living in reliance on machines. This also defies nature”. I was impressed with this insight of the artist who saw the fridge as mankind’s opposition to nature, but thereafter also he continued to diligently confront as a work of love the accumulation of these paradoxes of civilization in his own existence.
Then after the passage of 20 years, the recognition of water as leading to neutralization of the situation was renewed, “the existence of energy that will be burned up unless it is continuously cooled, and the fact that the only thing that can stop the system that is operating by what is said to be the latest science and technology is ordinary water, which is completely familiar to us”.
Observing the exhibits, —slowing of time, reflecting phenomena, the cycle of life, cooling of heat— the artist began once more to consider “water”, and began actively grasping the transformation of the works as a hint connecting civilization and nature.
Endless Rain 2014
“Throughout this period this is what I came up with . . .” In the middle of April at the second and final meeting he showed me the idea sketches. Toxic green rain containing fluorescent dye reproduces the surrounding new green, like the tears of civilization. I was surprised by his power like never before with its unhesitant challenge that plainly expressed criticism. The artist himself said of the work that it is “a masterpiece for a weird work”.
Osamu Kokufu has come here and finally become aware of his source as an artist, and while unusually confident of his point of arrival at present, has accomplished the challenge of the next development. Surrounded by the environment with which Aomori has been blessed and by his works, when I see the exhibition it is clear that he has encountered the supreme bliss.
To me who has known agony, there is nothing that delights me and warms my heart more than his works to date.
For that reason I spend my days as if I were half absent at present. It is not just me, but everyone that has been touched by him is the same. That is because our paradoxes have been materialized, as if he was carrying them, and because we are forced to confront ourselves by the forms that Osamu Kokufu continuously creates. He is also aware of this, and as he struggles with it penetrates to the life within happiness. We have lost the one personality we can confront, and are still lost. “Osamu Kokufu” must be restored.