Seitaro Yamazaki
Seitaro Yamazaki is primarily an installation artist who delves into other mediums such as video art. He has exhibited in major cities including Tokyo, New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Shanghai, Washington D.C., Milan, London, and Venice. Seitaro’s most recent solo exhibitions include features at Hosek Contemporary in Berlin, Aoyama Spiral Garden and Parjhabio Shibuya in Tokyo, Blue Line Arts in Roseville, California, and J-COLLABO in NewYork. He has also been the subject of a monograph titled Yohaku Shiko (Think with marginal spaces): How I use marginal spaces in thinking to surpass ‘logical ' as an artist and a designer’".
Seitaro imbues Japanese aesthetics such as Kodo incense ceremony as well as wabi-sabi and philosophical and poetic views on minimalism and nature in his work. He finds himself deeply influenced by monochromatic photography from the 70’s and 80’s and ambient music. Some of the most fascinating works by Seitaro would be his series of ‘fossils’ which are constructed with sand and acrylic, bonded together with sumi epoxy resin.
These fossil works have a post-apocalyptic aesthetic to them as they appear as if they are the left over remnants of war, appearing charred and sometimes fragmented. Their distinct features such as logos are projected with red acrylic, as if to convey their manufacturer remains their most important feature as perhaps a cynical prognosis. Seitaro uses white paint on his fossil sculptures as if to indicate a scorched quality, perhaps in an explosion or during a volcano similar to a contemporary version of Pompeii. Other sculptures outside the series may resemble totems or contain pop art elements.
Fossils from the future ＃05 ‘Leica M10’ (pictured above) contains a depiction of a highly sought after digital camera which has analogue appearing features. A bridge between retro, contemporary, and future concepts, the fossil lays out a charred camera which communicates the contemporary inclination towards vintage aesthetics. The logo becomes accentuated through bright red acrylic as if to mock society for valuing brand name over substance.
Seitaro Yamazaki creates deeply mysterious and cynical works which reflect ancient, present, and future implications which range from reassembling natural objects to using resin in abstraction and literal concepts. His video art depicts a deep respect for music which reflects rhythm and ambience through jagged and rising minimalistic forms. Often using imperfect surfaces with vivid texture to communicate his concepts remains one of Seitaro’s most pressing attributes. A deeply conceptual artist, Seitaro has the viewer question the current value of our material and personal possessions.
