Reviews

Encountering colors born of miracles

by Ohgushi

Illustrator Mr. Ohgushi, who paints with colored particles, speaks of his love of color and living a journey of the soul.

Mr. Ohgushi freely directs the particles in pigment to depict "blotting"* interpretation of the world that exceeds the boundaries of human intention. He has presented several series of works including "Bijinga," "LIPS," "Particles" and "Floating," changing his style every few years to extend his own progress. He speaks to us of his love of color and his lifestyle of devotion to his journey of his soul.

* The visual result achieved when small drops of paint dropped onto water color paper move with the natural attraction of water and dry

Please tell us what distinguishes your creations "Bijinga," "LIPS," "Particles" and "Floating"?

The "Bijinga" depict the beauty, expressiveness and dynamism of women. Using my ink, I confront the washi (Japanese paper), and through a series of short struggles a piece is completed. It is a very exciting series. Each piece is structured from lines; deciding where to write a line and how to move the brush is difficult. Each separate struggle with the washi takes enormous amounts of energy.

"LIPS" is a series using lips as a motif to produce a creation with strong impact and eroticism. I use 10 hues for each piece, blending from deep to light with a flat brush. When I stop the brush, the vertical lines, the smooth movement of the brush, the density of the paint  if any of these are wrong then the lips will not appear. It is a very difficult technique.

"Particles" highlights the blotting I encountered when creating "Bijinga" and "LIPS." I used watercolor paper, not washi, for these pieces, and it took me four or five years to arrive at the blotting I was looking for.

"Floating" moves away from painting on paper and uses water as a canvas. "Particles," when dry, is a two-dimensional depiction, but the constant movement of each particle while the piece is drying is mesmerizing and I wanted to somehow show that three-dimensionally. Through trial and error I finally arrived at "Floating."

Why do you continue to change your creative style?

If I continue using the same technique, I end up repeating what has already been successful and am merely an imitation of myself. I am unable to see my way forward. I feel stifled. The need to find a new self and return to my real self gets stronger. It was the same when I spent six years painting "Bijinga."

The desire to discover a new self becomes so strong that I would even change my name from Ohgushi, as I was experimenting with a new work the pieces of "LIPS" came together. It's as if a door appears in front of me, as I pursue and try materials and techniques and the solution comes to me, the door opens and I feel as though a breeze sweeps through me. I can change because of my art. My art is my salvation.

Even as I perfect a new creative style, it doesn't mean I'm completely done with the old ways. I am constantly searching for new techniques to realize what I want to do.

What is most important to you as an artist?

I have always thought that art is a "journey of the soul." Every time I complete a new work, that work is my salvation and widens my horizons; having had that feeling once I am constantly looking to repeat it. I try not to simply imitate previous successes, because the value of the works that I create by continuing my journey of the soul is much greater. Orders will keep rolling in and my art will have its own influence on society. That is why it is so important for me to simply continue my journey.

All of my work has a common thread running through it, blotting. The foundation of my art is the attractive force of water moving the particles in the ink and the paints; the force of nature. I feel so privileged to be able to do my work in cooperation with art and nature.

What does color mean to you as you vary your creative style?

For my own work, blotting provides the depth and expressiveness of the work, and the color gives the emotion. I have done several monotone works, but with the previously unimagined blotting that appeared with the "Particles" series the blending of the colors is what gave the work its impact  a strong impact, as if sound was reverberating. That is the beauty of color, and such a sensation is only possible with the power of color.

The focus of my work is the combination of each and every color; I am particularly concerned with the use of complementary colors. For example, the intermediate color when mixing yellow and blue is green, and when mixing yellow and pink is orange. I don't use a lot of colors, but by combining only two colors, the intermediate colors that appear are more beautiful than I can imagine. It is a miraculous moment. When I encounter that moment, I am inspired to immerse myself in the pursuit of the creation of even more inconceivable colors. This pursuit is the fascination and joy that I find in color and is the stimulus for the creation of the distinctive interpretation of the world that is blotting.

Please tell us about the concept behind this new work.

The concept is the contrast between the dark depth of the blue and the shocking brightness of the yellow. If you stand close and look, it feels as though you are being drawn into the brilliant and deep blues, and if you stand back then the compelling presence of the yellow envelopes you. The sense of depth comes from beginning with a deep blue and transitioning through gradation from green to yellow.

To me, all colors have equal consequence, but with this work I took a fresh approach with yellow. The suns' light is the source that shines on and gives shape to everything around us, and yellow is the closest color to the suns' light. In my own work, if I mix yellow into the color I want to emphasize the expression of, it becomes much richer. Yellow is indeed the source that gives expression to everything.

This work is part of your "Particles" series. What is the appeal of creating this series?

The role I play when creating "Particles" is dropping paint particles on to watercolor paper, then simply watch the dynamics and the attractive force of the water act on the particles. Rather than me painting a picture, it is more like nature and I are cooperating and having fun together. Even then, I may think a piece is finished, but it continues to transform into something quite unexpected. Every time I create, I can see a new world. This is the appeal of "Particles," as it uses a technique very different from the other series.

I chose the name "Particles" because I wanted to include the idea of the formation of earth and the universe. The movement of each and every particle is as if the earth were being seen from above, like the landscape leading from a river to the sea, like the ice moving in a glacier. It is fascinating to see the vast scale of nature in one work, and exhilarating to create.

What do you see yourself doing next?

I have been invited to take "Bijinga" international. Many think that illustrators will not be accepted on the art scene overseas. I would like to be the one to break down that barrier. However, I prefer to focus on what I am doing now and not be concerned about the future. Only by accepting who I am now and giving 100% at all times can I work at 100%. I will continue to paint pictures one by and one and not stray from my "journey of the soul."

OHGUSHI MEETS QUATTRON
We asked Mr. Ohgushi to view his current work on a Quattron display.

What was your impression upon viewing your work on the Quattron display?

My first impression was that the yellow and white colors are the most vivid I have seen on any screen. The fluidity and the enhancement of expression of the yellow are very clear it is not simply bright. I leave a lot of white areas in my work, and if the white does not stand out then it is not possible to show blotting at its best. The beauty of the white when viewed on the Quattron is amazing.

The greens and blues, which can often seem drab on-screen or in print, are also beautiful. It is so close to the original art I have never seen my work replicated so well on-screen. Also, the realistic way the Quattron depicts the wetness of the paint makes it seem as if it were being painted right here and now.

Do you feel that your concept "the contrast between the dark depth of the blue and the shocking brightness of the yellow" shows well on the Quattron?

The blotting and nuances that occur between adjacent colors is just as I picture it, and the movement of the particles of the pigment is also strong. The ultramarine of the dark blue, which is the most difficult to replicate amongst red, blue and green, is clear. The emerald green and yellow almost appear to be emitting light themselves. The Quattron is a perfect match for this concept, as each color is distinct in itself.

My work is based on blotting, which provides the depth, and color graduation, which provides the sensory beauty. If either of these is lost then my intention as the artist is lost, and the miraculous colors born of miracles resulting from color combinations are spoiled. However, with the Quattron, that miraculous moment is captured.

Did you get any sense of new artistic possibilities from Quattron?

Until now there was only one way as an artist to fully convey my intended message, and that was by showing the original work at exhibitions. The "Particles" series is complete when it is dry, but I think there is also beauty in the movement of the particles during the drying process. I can imagine a new presentation style where I take a video of the particle movement until drying is complete, which would be possible with the Quattron's ability to show color. Also, when giving a presentation, the video would be as good as showing the original artwork. I think I this has real potential to widen my horizons.