Motomichi Nakamura “Shadows and Light”

Motomichi Nakamura “Shadows and Light”

NowHere

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NowHere presents “Shadows and Light” by Japanese artist Motomichi Nakamura.

Both white and black have dual natures. The incalculable depth of darkness can evoke fear, as of the unknown and what lurks inside it, but also peace, as in eternal rest. The nakedness of light links to purity, as of the driven snow and all that, but also to an inescapable, eye-searing sense of scrutiny, as in an interrogation room. Light, in this way, can be just as scary as dark.

But perhaps more pressing are the monsters we encounter here. The beasts that populate Motomichi Nakamura’s paintings and drawings are actually complicated characters. They look at us, and we can sense an energy coming from them. But what is it? Are they hungry and menacing? Or are they curious and gentle? There’s something about them that makes both readings possible. These are monsters, yes—even Nakamura says so—but they are conflicted monsters who don’t know whether to scare or soothe.

And then there’s Nakamura’s red, which pops up like a flashing beacon. When red appears in his work it’s a welcome surprise that serves to lend more depth to the blackness. It is the sign of a fire inside his monsters, an animating force that brings energy to these creatures the way lightning sparked Frankenstein’s monster to live again. Will Nakamura’s monsters one day find a life of their own and march off the walls and into our world? Looking at them, anything seems possible.

Media

• Sculpture
• Installation

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