Saburo MURAOKA 2012 Nagoya

Saburo MURAOKA
September 8 (Sat) – October 27 (Sat), 2012
Nagoya

A solo exhibition by Saburo Muraoka (born in Osaka in 1928, currently residing in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture), renowned for his sculptures and installations that incorporate materials such as iron, sulfur, and salt, as well as invisible elements like vibrations and body temperature.

This exhibition will feature his representative three-dimensional works from the 1990s, including 20 Oxygen Cylinders and 20 Lead Plates (1991). Consisting of 20 oxygen cylinders and 20 lead plates arranged methodically on a carpet, 20 Oxygen Cylinders and 20 Lead Plates is a work that reflects Muraoka’s view of history.

“The names engraved on the 20 lead plates were not necessarily selected after careful deliberation. However, when each is confronted with a single cylinder of oxygen, they hold equal value, and I reject the very historicity that seeks to differentiate them.”

The names, inscribed on the lead plates without any specific criteria, include Taira no Masakado, Christ, John Lennon, Picabia, Mallarmé, Muhammad, Empress Wu Zetian, Kiyoshi Miki, as well as Seizaburo (his own father) and Meursault (a fictional protagonist).

Twenty Oxygen and Twenty Lead Plates　1991　　
Oxygen cylinders, carpet made in Pakistan, lead, iron, calcium
h.150 cm (oxygen cylinder)

Oxygen on the Desk
1991
iron, oxygen cylinder, halogen lamp, sperm
100 x 184 x h.97 cm (desk) / 42 x 45.5 x h.110 cm (chair)

Oxygen on the Desk
1991
iron, oxygen cylinder, halogen lamp, sperm
100 x 184 x h.97 cm (desk) / 42 x 45.5 x h.110 cm (chair)

Brake
1987
iron, wooden handle, bicycle brake 45x35xh.142 cm