With this exhibition Hiro Yamagata attempts to expand both the language and the boundaries of installation art. The unexpected combinations of object, light and space (utilizing the entire 25,000 square feet of Ace Gallery New York) demonstrate the artistšs exploration into the links between science, technology and art, and ultimately transform the gallery into a spatially infinite site.
Hiro Yamagata has been exploring ideas related to nature, particularly the inexplicable forces of the sun, and its effects on one's environment for over a decade. "Underlying my work as an artist, and in particular my experimentation with laser beams and other light sources, is my longtime concern with the fundamental forces found in nature. I am especially focused on the elemental force of light as manifested by the sun. By working with artificial, man-made beams generated by lasers and other advanced lighting systems (including fiber optic beams, color rays and Intelbeams), I believe that we can better recognize those elements of the sun which we would not otherwise perceive, or attempt to understand."
The unifying element within the diversity of effects and experiences is the refractive holographic panels covering all surfaces of the gallery walls, floor, and ceiling. These multiple refractive surfaces disperse and transform white laser beams into scattered spectrums of color. In addition, most of the rooms are filled with thousands of spinning, mirrored cubes suspended from the ceiling. The laser/lighting systems are run by an intricate series of computer programs designed to generate various rays of light, which travel across and between various galleries, bouncing and refracting off of mirrors and holograms. The viewer is immersed in a vast display of ever-changing lights, unlike any natural phenomenon but perhaps indicative of it. While the lasers emphasize the technological potential of light, commonplace light sources, such as mirrors or floodlights, represent an anchor to reality, albeit with its constantly changing impressions.
Yamagata's installation provides the viewer with layers of visual information, a space age landscape of materializing and dematerializing surfaces. As the artist notes "it makes you re-recognize your own consciousness for dimension and depth". One becomes highly aware of the physical, and emotional effects of Yamagata's installation.
It is commonly accepted that one's environment can alter one's moods, and that light (or lack of it) can seriously affect onešs state of mind. Here, the variable shades of color, the different textures of light, and the continuing movement and modifications of the installation, produce a compelling sensory experience.
The exploration of object, light and space is not new, nor is the inextricable link between science, art and technology. Yet, as architect Frank Gehry stated in the preface for Yamagata's recently published catalogue, The Solar System Installations, "Hiro Yamagata has commandeered the most advanced technologies available to the science of light . . . ."
Over the last four years Yamagata has produced several other large-scale laser installations. In 1997, Yamagata began his transformation of the gallery space with 'Element', a six part series of environmental installations using theatre lights, holographic effects and lasers. In 1998, he created a unique public exhibition when he "flooded" over one mile of the Los Angeles River with massive laser lights. Yamagata's current installation at Ace Gallery New York relates essentially to his preceding installation at the Contemporary Arts Museum in Cincinnati in the fall of 2000. His ongoing exploration of immersing environments is perhaps best represented by the artist's studio, or "laboratory", which is a permanent, yet constantly changing installation. This laboratory has been conceived not only with the idea of art in mind, but as a center for scientific research. Today, as lasers are increasingly used in medical advances, what are the possibilities when they are investigated and combined with artistic practice? Later this year, the artist will present a major laser installation in Tokyo in conjunction with NASA, the Science Institute of Japan and the Smithsonian Institution, a joint artistic and scientific exploration of our solar system.
Hiro Yamagata was born in Japan in 1948, and studied at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. He moved to Los Angeles in 1978 where he currently resides.
This exhibition has been made possible by the generous support of NASA, ARCO, SONY, IBM and Mercedes-Benz.
For further information or visual materials please contact Ace Gallery New York at 212.255.5599
Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Sunday 11:00AM to 5:00PM
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