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Jacob Hashimoto's Vibrant Sculptural Art Installation at Gallery.
Stepping into the Miles McEnery Gallery feels less like entering a traditional white cube and more like walking into the wings of a grand, abstract theatrical production where Jacob Hashimoto is both set designer and lead performer. His eponymous solo exhibition isn't merely a collection of artworks hung on walls; it’s a full-stage immersion, a vibrant opera of color and form constructed from thousands of hand-made elements.Hashimoto, a master of what can only be described as painterly architecture, deconstructs the very idea of a canvas, taking its fundamental components—color, line, texture—and scattering them into three-dimensional space. His signature kites, crafted from bamboo, paper, and thread, become the principal actors in this visual drama.Each piece is a note in a larger symphony, suspended in a delicate choreography that responds to the gallery’s air currents, casting ever-shifting shadows that dance across the walls and floor, creating a living, breathing installation that changes with the perspective of the audience. This is not art to be passively observed from a distance; it demands you move through it, to experience the narrative unfolding from every angle, much like the difference between reading a script and witnessing a live performance.The riot of color is deliberate, a chromatic score that guides the emotional rhythm of the space, where bold, saturated hues might represent a climactic scene, while softer, more muted tones provide a moment of lyrical repose. This approach connects him to a rich history of artists who challenged the flat picture plane, from the immersive 'Infinity Rooms' of Yayoi Kusama, which create a sense of boundless space, to the dynamic mobiles of Alexander Calder, who first introduced the element of chance and movement into sculpture.Hashimoto, however, pushes this further, building entire environments that are both monumental and incredibly fragile, a testament to the painstaking, almost ritualistic craftsmanship involved. One can imagine the artist’s studio as a backstage workshop, a hive of activity where each element is meticulously prepared before being assembled into the final production.Critics and curators often highlight how his work blurs the lines between painting, sculpture, and installation, creating a hybrid form that speaks to our contemporary, multi-sensory experience of the world. In an era dominated by digital screens and virtual realities, there is a profound resonance in Hashimoto’s tactile, physical creations.They remind us of the power of the handmade, the beauty of materiality, and the unique magic that can only occur when an audience shares a physical space with a work of art. The exhibition is a powerful argument for the continued relevance of immersive, physical art in a increasingly virtual world, offering a sanctuary of tangible wonder. It’s a show that doesn’t just hang on the wall; it sings from the rafters, a testament to an artist who understands that the most powerful stories are often told not with a single image, but with an entire world built around you.
#Jacob Hashimoto
#sculpture
#installation art
#color
#form
#painting
#architecture
#Miles McEnery Gallery
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