This site was created as an archive of Shin Kudo’s previous works. It contains my serieses of photography and sculptures up to 2020. The period, when I started to put the question into my mind what “expression” is goes back to 2008. Also this site presents the changes overtime in my works due to the fact that I changed my base from Japan to Germany. In addition, I came to the process of creating a website for the purpose of reflecting on the progress of myself so that I can find out the changes of my works, the establishment of myself and the motivation for my production.
First of all, I would like to write why the focus of my work has shifted from sculpture to photography. Getting interested in photography was an important trigger of this change. I think that the origin of my production can be seen not a little recently.
At the beginning, I was interested in the “surface” of the material to be engraved. And I now vividly remember the reflection of light I saw at Okutama Lake, which is also famous dam in Tokyo. In the depths of the slightly hazy lake, particles of light were reflected as if blinking. It differs from the shine as Mirror, only a part of the lake was shining always in sync with the movement of the lake surface as it seems to be a mosaic of light.
I remember that the shining part had changed its outline a little and shook, and even though it was a little dazzling, I was following it with my eyes. It looked as if the entrance to a space that was different from the one where I was standing was open. It is an unforgettable memory even today that I remembered the feeling of being “aware” in the reflection of the lake.
When I was touching a piece of metal as the material of the sculpture, I often wondered. “Isn’t it originally hard?” It is the fact that metal solidifies at Earth’s high temperatures, does not solidify like water, but it is constantly flowing out like liquid and in the earth. In fact, fluidized iron and nickel exist in the lower part of the mantle and the outer core. The metal, which is heated and melted in the high-pitched tone, shines beautifully and flows down vigorously from top to bottom with gravity. For example, when I look at the sun, my eyes do not get hot, but when I see the moment when a quantity of metal is melting up close, they inebriate me with my eyes, face, and body.
But it quickly solidified into the original mass again. Although there are many metallic substances on earth, this experience made me feel as if I was looking at something which I have never seen before and originally comes from somewhere very far. The scene in which the metal melted was not only a change in itself, but it was a strong shock as if I had a glimpse of their original appearance.
For me, the sight was also contact with primitive or unknown substances. It was the moment that the sight and the experience that the surface of the lake was reflected were tied up with “now as a moment”. I noticed that the metal changed its shape and formed a temporary shape, and it was fluidly around me. The metals change themselves and form temporary shapes. As such, they exist fluidly around me.
Similarly, the “surface” that reflects on the lake surface is just like an entrance, and the entrance overlaps multiple layers to form a multifaceted space that constantly opens and closes. The two views I saw continue to be of interest to me as a gateway to an area beyond my imagination. Later, it will hit the method of <carving> in sculpture.
When I was sculpting just like tracing the surface, I couldn’t help without thinking about “what is in the center of matter” as my issue. Shaving the “surface” has became to naturally bring the consciousness to the “center”.
Shaving the “surface” was supposed to naturally go to the “center”. At the next moment, the vector that was heading to the “center” was reversed, and gradually the question “What is “existence”?” appeared.
It has changed to the fact that we are moving to the center while maintaining these two concepts. Then, at the moment of reaching the “center”, the “presence” was gone (hollow void).
The part that forms the surface does not “exist” without its “center”, but it still floats in the air as “center” = “existence” = (void) of matter and it brings me another big challenge as an issue. It goes to the same way for making a photo with having a the same concept of “surface” → “center” → “presence” → (void) and it follows constantly around me.
Photos cannot be realized without “surface”. To take “surface” of objects through photography has become to the question how sensitive I can capture the light. Germany has very little sunshine hours, especially in winter, and the sun sets around 16:00. Due to this fact, I can appreciate the gratitude of the sun around us. In fact, the sunlight produces nutrients that become serotonin in the human body and is effective in eliminating winter depression. I myself became more sensitive to the sun, and more and more often I always check if the sun will rise.
When taking a picture, the expression of an object changes depending on the angle at which the light rays enter and form the shape while creating the shadow of the object. The particles that make up the substance are affected by the wavelength of light, vibrate slightly, and take on a structural color that enters my eyes. I felt that my vision was rapidly micronized and that the three primary colors of light could be seen on the surface of an object.
It seemed to fill the space as if it formed an even or uneven curtain (幕) of light and had a different surface, but represented a “presence” that was different from a mere “surface.” It was the moment when the substance began to shine ecstatically.
Gradually it starts to vibrate and I get the feeling that it is full, but that is happening on the assumption that ((Probably it would be like that)). I also felt things.
The photograph records the original “existence” with time and keeps it with the concept of time, a moment, but from that “moment”, it becomes the past, and it repeats overwriting and deviates from the frame of time concept. They may move from somewhere to “somewhere” and that may simply result that “” that “” time being ” exist only there at that moment.
The “presence” in the photo has the contradictory structure of creating a new past. Is photography making the past? This question is repeated every day, and I’m still thinking about what “existence” is. It may be in the immediate vicinity. Look at an object, print it through photography, and return it to a substance. In the act of moving things into things, it goes on and spreads out a little. Through this action, I also became aware of photography as a substance and substance as a photograph, and to be able to see a new perspective on photography and sculpture.
While creating something, the subject of expression may be found a little. However, it is difficult for me to grasp it by myself, and what I am trying to grasp seems to change daily. It may be [a thing] or [there] that moves fluidly like metal, stops when it moves, and disappears again as soon as it is exposed to this side for a moment. What it is, it may be simply composed of *light* and ~water~ However, when I saw the scene, I realized that “it is different from the place where I am standing now”. I think that is a very important experience. The feeling that I would like to get closer to it will not change day by day.
Finally, I was reminded that I’ve met a lot of people during this ((time)). Thank you for sharing your precious time, I appreciate that. To be honest, I’m not confident that all of these works are called art. However, it is certain that this ((time)) really “exists.”
These are just a few of the records: memorial: memories of Shin Kudo as human.
I hope you enjoy it.
Late winter 2020 Berlin, Shin Kudo
Translated by Machi Miyahara