Yamataka EYE
ONGALOO



magical ARTROOM Talk: Vane, Monday 18 August, 5.30pm

Preview: Monday 18 August, 7-9pm
Exhibition: 19 August - 18 October 2008

This is the first UK exhibition of work by the seminal Japanese artist and musician Yamataka EYE.

In the 1980s EYE was a member of radical performance group Hanatarash and founded the cult band Boredoms. Boredoms have released seventeen critically acclaimed albums breaking new ground across the genres of noise, acid-punk, electronica, free jazz and psychedelia. EYE has collaborated with artists including Nam June Paik, John Zorn, Sonic Youth and Otomo Yoshihide.

His grounding in music and the transformative power and chaos it can yield are ever present in his visual art. This exhibition will show elements from EYE’s major exhibition and publication ONGALOO. ONGALOO is a celebration of the greatness of life itself, the title comes from the phonetic expression of the Japanese phrase ‘On ga aru’, which carries the double meaning of ‘There is sound’ and ‘I am indebted’.

Working with a range of media including found objects, t-shirts, drawing and photography he creates collages that combine artificial and natural elements, pop cultural trash and psychedelic shamanism. His collages are influenced by things he experienced as a child, small illustrated picture books, the superhero Kamen Rider TV shows, techno-pop, punk and new wave music, oracles, mantras and the energy of the sun.

His work has been exhibited at Transplant Gallery, P.S.1 and Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York, ARTZONE, Kyoto and magical, ARTROOM, Tokyo. He has produced several catalogues including NANOO (1996) and ONGALOO (2006), and designed many record covers, including Beck’s Midnight Vultures.

Yamataka EYE is represented by magical, ARTROOM, Tokyo, www.magical-artroom.com


Special Events:

magical ARTROOM Talk
Monday 18 August, 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Vane, Kings House, Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3PA

Haruka ITO Director of magical, ARTROOM will talk about the work of Yamataka EYE and the role of the gallery in introducing Japanese artists to international audiences.  Magical, ARTROOM supports upcoming artists and has developed publishing projects, a music label and the Art Award Tokyo. They are participating in Frieze Art Fair 2008.
Capacity is very limited please arrive early to guarantee a place.
www.vane,org.uk


Exhibition supported by:
Arts Council England
The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
alt.vinyl www.altvinyl.com

Media Sponsor: The Wire magazine www.thewire.co.uk


 

 





Yamataka EYE Poster >


Commissioned Essay >

Documentation >