There is a story behind all pieces of art and it is up to the onlooker to decipher its narrative and meaning, to eventually piece a coherent story together. We wish for it to be real-life events and experiences just to satiate an unquenchable thirst for discovering the unknown. As an artist, Japanese-born Macha Suzuki tells real-life stories but his driving motivation is to dress them up in lies and embellishments to craft fanciful images. It is up to the curious observer to find their own truth among a haze of fantasy.
Walk, a series of 5 mixed-media sculptures, marked the first solo exhibition by the artist who now lives and works in Los Angeles. Pulling images from his memory and experiences, he recreates scenes with images of animals and inanimate natural objects that are “… extremely exaggerated and obscured, to a point where they no longer function as representations of things of this world,” says Suzuki. Using unconventional materials such as epoxy clay and Bondo (a polyester resin product), Suzuki handcrafts candy-coated, extravagantly colored works that lure viewers into losing themselves in the beauty of the objects.
This series’ eponymous sculpture, Walk (2008), consists of four wooden letters that spell out the name, each containing a pulsating light within. The miniature world on top houses peacefully grazing sheep that seem oblivious to what is around them. A life-size sheep is also at the center of what is no doubt the highlight of this series. Numerous colored arrows are about to hit the white fur of the animal turning it into “rainbow-colored icon.” With imminent danger at hand, the question remains whether it is really just a Minor Threat (2008). It is this kind of questioning of a situation that Suzuki is trying to incite; questioning that triggers real human feelings such as joy, nostalgia and awe.
Whether in his installations, sculptures, or illustrations, Suzuki does not want to teach meaningful lessons. It is the playful nature of the artist’s communication, or relationship, with the viewer that inspires his work. “I am more of a pleasure seeker,” says Suzuki. Fostering that relationship, captivating a viewer’s curiosity and making them come back wanting an even better sequel are the underlying joys forming the foundation for Suzuki’s motivation.
Link:
www.machasuzuki.com
