Carving Shapes from Imagination

“The playground, instead of telling the child what to do (swing here, climb there), becomes a place for endless exploration, of endless opportunity for changing play. And it is a thing of beauty as the modern artist has found beauty in the modern world.” Isamu Noguchi (1967). Isamu Noguchi, an American artist, furniture designer, and landscape architect, developed his outdoor playgrounds to promote creative interaction as a means of learning (Noguchi Playscapes, 2017). Noguchi claimed that children’s play in public settings could facilitate their active engagement in society. The landscapes created by Noguchi served as contemplative spaces that prompted reflection on profound inquiries regarding space, time, and humanity’s existence. Noguchi consistently maintained an open mindset and tuned in to his inner voice. It implored him to reestablish ties with his roots, apply diligence, and persevere resolutely. Ultimately, it urged him to dismiss the limitations imposed by society and adopt those dictated by his vision. Throughout his prolific six-decade career, Isamu Noguchi explored nearly every artistic medium accessible to him. Noguchi used drawings, models, and collages to construct his biomorphic interlocking sculptures during the mid-1940s. They were delineated and excised from black construction paper. The elements were built into small, independent models. The composition was observable from all angles, the model shapes were altered using scissors, and physical stability was assessed. Later, Noguchi scaled up his cut-outs and created slender, flat slabs of slate or marble. He employed a circular saw to carve and bevel the larger forms on the stone surface in accordance with their penciled outlines. His notched interlocking sculptures can be constructed without fasteners or supports. To comprehend life forms and to establish a morphology, whether for scientific, artistic, or other objectives, is it sufficient to replicate the prompt data acquired from our acute awareness? Often referred to as a “welded steel assemblage of geometric and biomorphic forms,” Louise Nevelson’s Summer Night Tree is a monumental abstract sculpture characterized by substantial, flat, twisting, leaf-like structures emerging from a slender trunk-like cluster. The uniform darkness and geometric designs are foreboding. Circles, squares, and crescents possess significant connotations. Circles symbolize completeness and life cycles, squares denote stability and the earth, while crescents embody lunar and feminine energy. It is remarkable how Nevelson deconstructs elements. #Imagination #Noguchi #LouiseNevelson #ImaginaryPossibilities #AnnTyng「这个游乐场不再指令孩童行事（如在此处荡秋千、去往彼处攀爬），而是蜕变为一处可供无尽探索、拥有无限可变玩法的空间。正如现代艺术家于当代世界中发掘美感一般，这本身便是一件美的造物。」——野口勇（Isamu Noguchi，1967） 野口勇（Isamu Noguchi）是美国艺术家、家具设计师与景观建筑师，他打造户外游乐场旨在推动创造性互动，以此作为学习的途径（《野口勇游乐景观》（Noguchi Playscapes），2017）。野口勇曾提出，孩童在公共空间中的游戏能够助力他们更积极地融入社会。他所设计的景观兼具沉思属性，可引导人们就空间、时间与人类生存等深层议题展开反思。野口勇始终保持开放心态，倾听内心的声音：这份声音敦促他重拾文化根脉、勤勉耕耘、坚毅不拔，最终指引他摒弃社会强加的桎梏，遵从自身的艺术愿景行事。 在长达六十年的多产创作生涯中，野口勇几乎尝试了所有触手可及的艺术媒介。20世纪40年代中期，他借助素描、模型与拼贴技法创作生物形态互锁雕塑（biomorphic interlocking sculptures）：先以黑色卡纸勾勒轮廓，再进行切割成型，将各元素组装为小型独立模型。这类作品的构图可从任意视角观测，创作者通过剪刀调整模型造型，并测试其物理稳定性。此后，野口勇将切割出的作品放大，制作出细长扁平的板岩或大理石板材；他借助圆盘锯，依据铅笔勾勒的轮廓在石材表面雕刻并打磨斜面，以完成更大尺寸的作品。他那些带有榫卯结构的互锁雕塑无需紧固件或支撑结构即可组装成型。 无论是出于科学、艺术或是其他目的，若要理解生命形态并构建一套形态学体系，仅仅复刻从敏锐感知中获取的即时信息，是否就已足够？ 路易丝·内维尔森（Louise Nevelson）的《夏夜之树》（Summer Night Tree）常被称为“由几何与生物形态构成的焊接钢质集合体”，这是一件巨型抽象雕塑，其特征为从细长的簇状树干结构中延伸出厚实扁平、扭曲舒展的叶状造型。统一的暗沉色调与几何图案营造出肃穆之感。圆形、方形与新月形均承载着丰富的象征意义：圆形象征圆满与生命轮回，方形代表稳定与大地，新月则寓意月相与女性力量。内维尔森对元素的解构手法堪称精妙。 #想象力 #野口勇 #路易丝·内维尔森 #假想可能性 #安·廷（Ann Tyng）