Tokuro Sakamoto: Living a Lazy Day

This year, solo exhibitions in Tokyo have featured motifs that are different from what we have seen before, such as ripples, for example. We are catching glimpses of a new direction, as witnessed in an exhibit in Kofu where the entire surface of a large building was made use of. Consistent with this is the creation of unique landscapes that are free of human subject, inorganic and make the viewer sense air and space.
Sakamoto’s landscapes do not feature spectacles such as traffic crossings, playgrounds, amusement parks or pigeons in a park. They are full of the ordinary and everyday, straightforward, and, as the title suggests, even “lazy.” His works do not depict stereotypical scenes that could exist anywhere, and it is difficult to pinpoint their when and where, making the viewer feel a laziness - of time prolonged. Sakamoto's works also startle the viewer, resonating memories of seeing the scene before, like deja vu. Despite Sakamoto’s works being very modern, depicting everyday things in our contemporary lives rather than the freedom and spontaneity of nature, he does not make us feel gloomy. Is this because of his emphasis on objects that show the continuity and space of what is not depicted, such as wide, open skies and power lines, roads and river banks that appear to stretch on forever? The traffic lights and streets created by humans seem small within this expanse.
At this new exhibition, viewers will be able to experience startling moments, of the ordinary and non-ordinary intersecting. We hope that you can take the time to view and provide coverage of this exhibition.