Octopus - Why I was inspired

Octopus
2010

1167 cm x 910 cm

Mineral pigment, gelatin glue, metal leaf on Japanese paper

About Motif - Why I was Inspired

This motif attracted me because of the rhythms: The repetition of oval suckers coils on itself. My first impression on this octopus is shutting himself into his deep thought. The birds sleep in similar pose but they look much comfortable.

About My Own Work

I want to be a painter who is allowed to paint on the ceiling of Japanese temples. To be so, I need to love all lives on the earth like a priest, but it is very difficult. Some Creatures seem not being designed to be happy, and it makes me feel very sad. Being unable to find the goodness about something is my fault.

The secret of beauty seems exist in the details. and I usually start my works from the detailed sketches. In the next stage, I do not hesitate using a photocopy machine: I enlarge the sketched images to fit to my tablets..., but I usually accept printed outcomes as they are, and trace important contours only.

Normally, when the Japanese painter use metallic leaves, they use leaves for decorating the back ground, but I rather use leaves for describing motives (and use paints for the background or simply as metier). I admit my usage of metallic leaves are not suitable for painting, since some more details will be lost again at this stage.

I have been wondering why I want to ruin my original efforts through these processes. But, now I feel like I'm trying to experience something my motifs seemed to be gone through by doing these. I'm glad when I find some good things in the completed painting; because it makes me feel like I could heighten the existence of the motifs I concerned, and there are some my efforts still remained without being deprived.

What I Learnt from This Painting

I had a necessity to keep the weight of this painting light because I needed to ship it to abroad. Therefore, I used flat boards in the beginning. However, the winter air in London was very dry and the 4mm thickness panels were curved! I had to back up the panels by some crosspieces later. If I could predict this problem in advance, I would made regular panels from the beginning which would allow me to cover the side of panels by paper (for better looking).

As was pointed out at the last crit, I noticed the format, 4 split screens, rather interrupting the rhythm of repeated suckers. Now I realize the old screen paintings look successful with more than two motifs, or making use of blank spaces(fig.2). I probably made mistake in the usage of sequence in this format. At least, the octopus's repeated circular rhythm is not working efficiently. Therefore, I should rather emphasize on horizontal contours to improve the painting. I will probably push the left end of octopus body out side so that the horizontal continuity will become competitive enough to physical vertical lines.

I'm happy with the sense of fragility and in completeness about this octopus painting.