Year: 2017 / 2022
Medium: oil, wood
Dimensions: 25.5 x 25.5 x 25.1 cm (10 x 10 x 9 7/8 in.)
Acquired from Mitsukoshi Contemporary Gallery, 2022
It takes the form of a cube of wood divided into two parts shaped like a tiered stand, with the surface painted orange. However, the paint is not thick enough to conceal the qualities of the wood with its rough grain and cracks. This allows the visual information of its massive solid weight and texture to be conveyed. Upon a closer look, one may clearly perceive a sense of hardness and heaviness of the wood that contrasts with the lightness of the bright orange color. In terms of form, although the warmth and warping of the wood created by handcraft can be seen, there are no features other than its shape as a simple staircase that are worthy of special mention. While the form itself does not communicate much, the title “Escaping Light” should unexpectedly stimulate the viewer’s imagination. Stairs are structures for going up and down in mountains and buildings, and thus can symbolize movement toward another place other than here. However, such symbolism is only possible assuming there is a view or a floor space above and below the staircase. In this work, no premise has been presented; only the staircase as an intermediate state of transition comes into sight. With the expectation that something lies there, we direct our gaze towards it. Yet, simply looking at it is not enough to grasp the essence of this work, which tells us neither where it goes nor where it comes from. Light is nothing but the act of perceiving and recognizing existence through vision. As Gilles Deleuze and others have suggested, escape carries the same meaning as opening new pathways that cannot be seen if one remains in a state of stagnation. In other words, in viewing this work, we should not focus on what remains within the form, but rather what passes through it and the destination of the route it leaves behind.
