Last weekend, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) opened the exhibition, “Naoya Hatakeyama: Natural Stories,” which features breathtaking landscape snapshots taken by one of Japan’s most prominent photographers.  In his work, Naoya Hatakeyama explores the relationship between land and its inhabitants, and the balance of power within it.

Although highly recognized in his country, Hatakeyama is not quite as known in the United States.  Curator Lisa Sutcliffe met with the photographer in Japan in 2011 and began putting his work together at the SFMOMA.  This wonderful exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, should be able to turn some heads.

The exhibition includes one hundred photographs and two video installations that highlight his twenty-five years of work capturing the natural changes of the land.  Hatakeyama began his work in 1986 with the Lime Hills series, which the show juxtaposes with his most recent pieces from this past year.

These photographs are reflective, as they are shaped by the need for natural resources within the landscapes, and portray how much power its forces have over humanity.  For example, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which destroyed his hometown and took his mother’s life, was an event that transformed the show, and ultimately led to the name, Natural stories.

As a sharp observer of landscapes in transition, the images are thought-provoking and inspiring.  Hatakeyama’s work displays certain perspectives that people do not usually see, offering insights into Japan’s rich history and the ways nature and humankind both conflict and coexist.

This exhibition will be running until November 4th, 2012.  We hope many of you will get the chance to experience its splendor.

For those who are avid fans of landscape photography, visit one of our London exhibitors, Emily Sian Wilcox.

Naula announces the opening of its new location that encompasses a 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse, manufacturing facility and showroom, at 349 Suydam Street – 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11237.  The showroom will feature Naula’s SoHo and Premier Collections as well as radical custom prototypes for celebrity clients.

Naula will be collaborating with local talent to create a full service lifestyle destination at the Brooklyn Showroom.  Featuring works from artists such as Triple Edwards, Gerald Siciliano and Hiro Otaido as well as other celebrated local artisans of lighting, textiles, and accessories, clients and designers will have a variety of luxurious pieces to choose from. 

“The showroom juxtaposes the grittiness of a factory and the clean sleek look of a SoHo showroom which essentially embodies the character of our East Williamsburg neighborhood.  The craftsmen in Brooklyn are amazing and I’ve found that this rising culture is starting to rival some of the more traditionally located galleries and showrooms in New York City,” says Michael Corchado, Showroom/Project Manager at Naula.

More About Naula

Modern simplicity and old-world craftsmanship mark the highest quality of custom furniture for design + build company Naula. Since 2002, founder and creative director Angel Naula has brought together a group of artisans and designers to create a workshop that thrives on the idea that, at its inception, each piece is of its own unique design.

Naula’s custom pieces have been designed in close collaboration with such acclaimed interior designers and architects as Robin Wilson, Jamie Drake, Kelly Behun, Philip Gorrivan, and Mark Zeff.  He has completed high-profile residential projects for Robert Kennedy Jr., Lenny Kravitz, Hugh Jackman, Norah Jones, and Rupert Murdoch, as well as commercial projects for Mandarin Oriental NY, LaGuardia Airport, and various celebrated restaurants. His work has also been featured in such notable venues as Esquire SoHo, Pulse Contemporary Art, Maison de Luxe Beverly Hills, and the Hampton Designer Showhouse.

Until August 5th, the Asia Society Museum, in collaboration with the Shanghai Art Museum, is presenting “Revolutionary Ink: The Paintings of Wu Guanzhong.”  The exhibition showcases a selection of Wu Guanzhong’s best works in the ink medium that date from the mid-1970s through 2004.  Wu (1919-2010) was a very influential artist of his time, even though his midcareer was amidst an exceptionally challenging period for Chinese artists.  The exhibition outlines the evolution of Wu’s work, highlighting the history of ink painting in China.

Wu symbolized major shifts and tensions in Chinese art in his works; his oil paintings did not conform to existing political interests.  During the Cultural Revolution, Social Realism was the only accepted style in China, and Wu’s formalist and Western tendencies had reason for suspicion.  With this in mind, he decided to destroy most of his work – decades’ worth of oil paintings – to avoid the Red Guards.  However, his art was still condemned.  He was split from his family, sent to a labor camp, and forbidden to paint, write, or teach for two years.

Despite this tragedy, Wu painted when he had the chance, sometimes using a manure basket instead of an easel.  As the Revolution diminished in the early ‘70s, he continued to paint and rose as a national cultural figure who was celebrated inside and outside China.  Over time the climate became safe for Western-influenced oil painting, but Wu, however, chose to shift to the more traditional Chinese medium of ink.  Even when painting something nontraditional, he attempted to establish continuity with Chinese history.

The use of ink and wash reveal his solid foundation in the traditional Chinese ink landscape painting.  However, many of his paintings are also fundamentally different, especially in his use of bright colors and extreme compositions that disconnect from his heritage.  He sprinkles his landscapes with spots of pink, green, and purple.

The dwellings featured in his paintings allude to China’s past.  Oftentimes they are historical, as in the city view above.  You won’t find images of skyscrapers in these images.  Yet Wu also focused on the geometric beauty and structural rhythm of man-made environments rather than on natural environments that traditional ink paintings emphasized.

In his later career, Wu’s landscapes became increasingly more abstract.  He intended to portray conceptual and emotional representations instead of realistic representations.  For example, he provides closer views of subjects, as though the observer is completely immersed in the environment.

“Revolutionary Ink” demonstrates why Wu Guanzhong is the kind of artist that China is eager to celebrate and share.  Although he suffered through the Cultural Revolution, his work is not openly political, and he seamlessly integrated ancient Chinese values and modern trends.  Wu challenged a traditional medium of ink and turned it into art made for a new era.

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is known across the globe for her unique voice in the avant-garde world.  The 83-year-old icon has had a long career of painting, sculpture, collage, performance art, environmental installations, and collaborations with luxury fashion brands.  When Kusama moved to New York in the 50’s, she became a huge influence on legendary artists such as Andy Warhol.  Although she seemed to fade away from the art scene after leaving New York in the 70’s, she has returned to the city with great passion.  Kusama’s work is currently exhibiting at the Whitney Museum of American Art until September 30th.

Kusama started painting when she was ten, consistently using vibrant colors and repetitive themes with watercolors, pastels, and oils.  Growing up during World War II, Kusama developed irrational fears as a child, and she seemed to use art as a way to cope with such worries by integrating her emotions into her work.

Later in her life, in an attempt to escape her unsupportive parents, Kusama left her home and fled to art school, where she truly found her path to the art world.  There she created “Lingering Dream,” a traditional floral painting in which the plant stems resemble human limbs (as seen above).  Like this one, many of her pieces thereafter reflected political climates of that time.

Kusama moved to New York in 1957 and started to produce large abstract paintings filled with small details that cannot be seen from a distance.  During her time in New York, Kusama showed her paintings and environmental sculptures, and staged many events such as body painting festivals and fashion shows.

Her endless use of polka dots, which is now a trademark of her work, permeates the exhibit, and can also be seen in the off-site project at Hudson River Park.  The outdoor installation features large, circular sculptures that are scattered along the grass, allowing people to rest amongst them.  Both shows are quite intriguing

The exhibit opened on July 12th and will run until September 30th.

We at KOO admire Kusama’s unique work.  It moves us to see artists transform their feelings into art, whether it be social, political, or personal.  One of our own exhibitors, Pham Huy Thong, is a social commentary artist from Vietnam.  Like much of Kusama’s work, Pham focuses on portraying political issues.  It is extraordinary what strong emotions can inspire artists to create.

It’s summer and the weather is gorgeous. People often choose to either go outside and enjoy all that mother nature has given us, while others choose to go to museums where they can enjoy the man made beauty of sculpture and paintings. Well, we are glad to tell you that there is a place on earth where these two things come together harmoniously.

The Albany Bulb, or just “the bulb” is a former landfill owned by the City of Albany, in California. This small peninsula lies just west of San Francisco Bay. The term “Bulb” is often used to refer to the entire peninsula, which includes the Albany Plateau, north of Buchanan Street at its base; the high narrow “Neck,” and the round “Bulb.” The Bulb is part of the City of Albany, and can be reached via Buchanan Street or the Bay Trail along the east side of San Francisco Bay.

On the bulb you can walk your dog, have a picnic, go for a jog, or even take in some pretty amazing art. There you can find street art such as murals, stencil art, graffiti, sculpture, and even installation art.

Sculptor and activist lawyer Osha Neumann has created some of the largest works. He often collaborates with Jason DeAntonis.

So if the next time you want a marriage of art and the outdoors be sure to visit The Bulb, a truly inspiring space!

Would you like to see Osha Neumann create some of his masterpieces? Be sure to Click Here, then let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter!