CRACK AND SHRINK SHUNKY MIGA medium 23004

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Cracks and Shrinnks

Artificial products have advantage of homogenization and efficient productivity, on the other hand natural products have individual differences and heterogeneous property. However, the boundaries can be changed vaguely depending on the way of thinking. He thinks that even substances classified as artificial could have characteristics like natural ones. Without the production loop for human selfish reasons, the mixture of artificial things and natural ones can be located as a new value. This work is a proposal of a new material for reaffirming the perspectiveon nature. The raw materials are polystyrene, which has the property of shrinking by heat, and two types of acrylic paint, which shrink and crack following it. The variations of the properties of the materials, the firing temperature and time were examined to observe the curing. The resulting texture differs depending on the temperature of the oven, the thickness and density of polystyrene, the distribution and concentration of the acrylic paint, the humidity, the temperature, and the time spent in the air. CRACKS AND SHRINKS is made of artificial materials and is made by human hands but final shape of it can not be predicted by humans. It is a new material expression in which the texture changes due to various factors.

Ryota akiyama

Based in Mashiko, Tochigi Prefecture, Akiyama conducts research into the materials and historical backgrounds for his work. By filtering through contemporary elements, the artist attempts to update values, resulting in the creation of new relationships and functions that are produced by the interactions between people and space, where the process itself becomes part of his artistic expression.

Ryota Akiyama's exhibition on April 28-May 14, 2023

New Era of Japanese Pottery CRACKS AND SHRINKS