Takeshi Abe : Sign of Ghost

Putting up small colored cubes on a wall at a regular interval ? it is such a meticulous work. It seems to be just a set of cubes in being seen at close range, and people may not find it an elaborate picture as a photograph until they view it from distance. This experience is similar to the surprise when firstly see halftone dots of prints by a magnifying glass. Or, it also reminds us of the work of Chuck Close which is the portrait composed by gathering of different decomposed colors. However, it was difficult to illustrate the difference between these halftone dots or artworks of Close and those of Abe until viewing actual works at VOCA exhibition.
Almost all of cubes of Abe’s works placed in a grid have intervals and he takes the face of the wall into a part of his works. Cubes, which take three-dimensional form, inevitably cast shadow. Therefore, every time audience gets closer or changes angle of the view, cubes and shadow on the wall appear differently. Unlike a printing technique which aims for clearness, the works of Abe never become clear. They are always unclear and the image itself wavers. Though it is able to tell its gender, we cannot find what is actually drawn. It may nobody but somebody unclear. Abe just uses the system of colored cubes in these works, and it is such experiment as expressing images by device of simple system that make his works more interesting.
Besides flat works of cubes, three-dimensional works will also be in view at this exhibition. Considering the fact that his basic style is the cube, Abe aims at creating three-dimensional works from the beginning. It may be without saying to mention Daniel Buren. The artist is able to develop different style by replacing works putting up on a flat with three-dimensional space or replacing color with light. This exhibition will bring you the expectation on the variation of massive systems exploring various possibilities from current works of Takeshi Abe.

Toshio Kondo, Art Front Gallery

[Biography]
1977　born in Tokyo
2000　graduation from Tohoku University of Art & Design (sculpture course)
2003　completed Research Student Course of Tohoku University of Art & Design

2006 won a prize at Wonder Seed 2006
2006 Excellent Prize at Jeans Factory Art Award 2006
2005 won a prize at Tokyo Wonder Wall 2005
2004　won a prize at The 10th Liquitex Biennale

■ Selected Solo Exhibitions
2010 ANA meets arts, ANA Lounge at Haneda Airport / Tokyo
2009 Project N 37th, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery / Tokyo
2008　ProArtibus / Findland
2007　Takeshi Abe’s exhibiton vol.5, TOTAN Galler / Tokyo
2005　MUSEE F SELECT exhibition, MUSSE F / Tokyo
2005　Takeshi Abe’s exhibition vol.4, Youkobo Art Space / Tokyo

■ Selected Group Exhibitions
2011　VOCA 2011, The Ueno Royal Museum / Tokyo
2010 3331 SECRET AUCTION, 3331 ARTS CHIYODA / Tokoyo
2010 Descending Images 2010, Yamagata Museum of Art / Yamagata
2009 KIAF Korea International Art Fair 2009 / Seoul
2009 ART OSAKA 2009 / Osaka
2008 The House, DANDANS Exhibition No.4 / Tokyo

■Commission Works
2010 Fuji no Wakimizu 3rd Factory / TAKENAKA Corporation
2009 JMC / TORAFU Architects

■Art-in-Residence
2008 ProArtibus, Finland