Antiques and Vintage Items As Mentor

A joint exhibition of Masaki Kanamori and Jun Tominaga

金工藝家金森正起視古道具為老師,因為從它們身上,他學習到讓一物作品永久流傳不可缺的因素。今年3月,他便要跟「老師們」合作,於岐阜的百草藝廊舉辦作品展「暮らしの工芸展」(中譯:生活工藝展)。

金森正起的房間裡擺放了很多古靈精怪的東西——生了鏽的玩具貨車、塑膠造的捕魚器、以往火車便當裡用來放醬汁的陶製壼、建築地盤拾來的混凝土碎片等等,都是他在世界各地搜來的,其中不少來是京都一家名叫「古道具」的店舖。

古道具的老闆富永淳對舊物有著與別不同的視點,他並不醉心於富有歷史價值又或是工藝技術超卓的古董,在他的店內,能找到的是被削剩兩厘米長的鉛筆,或是給壓偏得面目模糊的塑膠玩具等等,似曾相識,卻又有莫名的新鮮感。富永淳以他過人的敏脫觸角,發掘被大眾忽視的舊物。因為他對生活道具特別熟悉,故總能在看似隨處可見的物件之中,察覺其獨特之處。金森正起覺得富永淳有如偏愛走小路冷巷的旅人,對大街裡常被讚頌的風景不感興趣,卻能描畫出巷弄裡的動人風景。

這次金森正起找來了富永淳合作,請他選物,然後金森正起將之細察,天馬行空地構想它們的可能性,為其去蕪存菁,加油添醋,於是一張斷了手把的木製拐仗椅,換上了鋁金屬手把;缺少了蓋子的石製火爐,被加上鏽鐵蓋與燒烤網;八角形的玻璃金魚缸給改裝成收藏日本茶具的茶箱⋯⋯看著金森正起有點奇詭的作品,便感到古道具其中一個迷人之處,在於它們勾起我們無限的想像。在想像的過程中,我們得以擺脫日常種種約定俗成的價值觀,對於生活,對於美,有了不一樣的體會。

Masaki Kanamori sees antiques and vintage items as his mentor, from which he has learned about the essential quality of an everlasting piece of work. This year in March, Kanamori is collaborating with his “mentors” on the Exhibition of the Craft of Daily Life in Galerie Momogusa.

In Kanamori’s room lies many curious items, for instance, a rusty toy truck, a fishing equipment made of plastic, a ceramic pot that was once used to contain sauce in bento box, and concrete fragments he picked up from a construction site. While many of these items were Kanamori’s collection from around the world, the majority was, in fact, acquired from a shop in Kyoto called Furui Dougu.

Jun Tominaga, the owner of Furui Dougu, has a distinctive take on old things. While most people are obsessed with antique that possesses a high historical value or demonstrates exquisite craftsmanship, Tominaga has an extraordinary sense of aesthetic that leads him to the discovery of old things that are often overlooked. In his shop, customers can find a used pencil that has only 2 centimeters left, or a deformed plastic toy whose original shape and print are not to be distinguished. Tominaga is very knowledgeable about everyday items, he can therefore recognize the uniquely remarkable qualities of commonly seen items. To Masaki Kanamori, Tominaga is a wanderer who always prefers quiet little alleys to the frequently praised scenery on the main street; Tominaga can always depict the charming vibe of the narrow passages.

In this collaboration, Kanamori invited Tominaga to select items for the project. After closely observing the items, Kanamori tried to think beyond the border to imagine their possibilities; he also eliminated the unwanted parts and polished them with new elements. After these creative process, he gave a transformable wooden chair/crutch with a broken handle a new aluminium one; he covered the coverless stone fireplace with a rusty metal cover and grill grid; the octagon-shaped fish tank made of glass was transformed into a tea box that is used in tea ceremony. Looking at the somewhat quirky works of Kanamori, one comes to understand the charm of antique lies in how they are capable of stimulating imagination. While imagining, we are allowed to depart from the rigidity of social norm and predefined set of value, we can then enjoy a brand-new understanding of life and aesthetics.

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