“from Art to Wearing Art”Yu Hiraishi

Mar.13 (Fri) - Mar. 23 (Mon), 2015

Chic Primary Art
Hinatsu Tsuyuhiko, member of International Association of Art Critics
Hiraishi Yu’s installations are composed of formal units of varied sizes that suggest red flower petals dancing in a white space. They may also look like flowers floating like rafts down a river with a rhythm like the breath of nature. Looking closer, one can see that each of the red units is made up of three metal circles joined together in different configurations.  Each circle is about 2 millimeters thick so they are not nearly as light as they look from a distance. These pieces appear light and seem to dance in spite of their actual weight.  These contrasting characteristics, along with a sophisticated sensibility developed over many years, give her art a marvelous power of expression.
 Hiraishis early works were made of primary materials in extremely plain and uncomplicated monochromatic arrangements. For example, a number of heavy cast iron bars symmetrically arranged on the floor. Clearly, these works were influenced by Minimal Art, a trend that countered previous contemporary art movements and continued to gain popularity during the 1970s.  Minimalism is a stoic approach to art that excludes expressive information and expression and creates a sense of exhilaration and autonomy.
 Hiraishi continued to work with the concept of “primary structures” from that time on.  Eventually, she began to use slim steel monochrome structures, attaching them to the wall in dynamic arrangements.  A sense of elegance began to emerge in her use of the visual effects of light and shadow.  She also experimented with the placement of structures in outdoor and architectural environments and even created minimal objects that could be attached to the body.  These latter objects were alternatives to more ostentatious forms of accessorization.
 Hiraishi’s “Contemporary Jewelry” has been appreciated in New York because of its esprit.  She has developed a new kind of chic primary art that moves into the realm of jewelry as well as creating spaces where art and decoration have equal validity.

Installation View