Echigo-Tsumari by IKOMA Sachiko - drawings of feelings when experienced artworks on site

Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennaleere

I heard it stands there as if it is natural to do so.
As if a farm implement that is used in a field that extends forever or
a house telling us how deep the snow could fall in winter.
It co-exists with the earth
as if it is too obvious to ask the reason for its existance.

I had never seen such artwork before.
I couldn’t think of anything when I finally tried to draw.
I didn’t know about the place called Niigata.

It doesn’t affect whether a painting is good or bad if you have touched the subject or not when you draw.
I think of Itō Jakuchū whenever I think about it.
I remember the drawing of tigers he left. It is next to the drawing of chickens.
The drawings talk to us. I wonder.
Jakuchū, you must have never seen a tiger. It is such drawing. Drawings talk well.
However, it is a great drawing.

I just wanted to visit there
in order to see artworks that are integrated into the earth with my own eyes.

If anything suggests bad sign even slightly I was ready to abandone the idea.
As they welcomed the idea of taking my child, we visited there.

The distant view of countryside and people working in the field
reminds me of the countryside I saw in my childhood.
However, what makes the view look stronger
is the pride of being the best race producing-region in Japan.
It appears to be somewhat confident, spreading and embracing.

As had been told, artworks came into my view without warming as Istarted to drive.
And for surely they stand there as if it is natural.

After looking it for a while, it seemed to be rather involved with the land and given life
as if staring back to us, telling to appreciate the entire land.
Or it silently receives the wind and makes sound
so that it gives comfort to viewers to take it with their whole body rather than with just ears or eyes.

There is such a way to see artworks…

I met, surprised and had a strange feeling
as if a child taken to a place she had no idea of.

Then two girls occur to my mind when I tried to capture such feeling.

The two girls meet water and run around. 
They play in the field with barefeet as they feel the wind,
recognising the topography of the place in the endlessly spread out field. 

Water for August, Wind for September, Earth for October.
The three themes appeared.

Quiet night and cool morning.
It was not difficult to draw three pictures anymore.

Time had come quickly to say good-bye to our busy journey and
we headed back home with pleasure and sorrow.

While we are quickly pulled back to everyday life,
I imagine the begining of the peak of the winter in the place that was so hot.

It brings me a feeling of strangely familiar
and makes me want to see again soon.

As the autumn embracing the entire region after harvest passes,
it entires into the harsh winter in the dropped temprature and dry air.
The artworks which admire the robust people
who continue to live their lives by accepting the changes in seasons
would dignifiedly exist as integrated element of the place.

When the next summer comes,
this feeling of nostalgia may take me to there again.