Shinpei Kusanagi: All things must pass
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All things pass
A sunrise does not last all morning
All things pass
A cloudburst does not last all day
All things pass
Nor a sunset all night
All things pass
What always changes?
Earth… sky… thunder…
Mountain… water…
Wind… fire… lake…
These change
And if these do not last
Do man’s visions last?
Do man’s illusions?
Take things as they come
All things pass[1]
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Altman Siegel is thrilled to present All things must pass, an exhibition of new paintings by Shinpei Kusanagi. The process of painting is innately tied to that of everyday life for the artist. While our lives have become increasingly complex, Kusanagi continues to appreciate the rhythm and consistency of his studio practice. The exhibition’s title is taken from the 1970 album by George Harrison, which itself borrows from a poem written by Lao Tzu.
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Kusanagi frequently paints through the night, preferring to work in silence and solitude. His process is inherently connected to his body. Beginning by staining untreated canvas with layers of translucent color, he applies expressive brushstrokes in an evocative range of colors. Rather than envisioning what the finished work will look like, he chooses to remain present by allowing the painting to develop organically. As a result, his canvases evolve in surprising ways as they accumulate new layers of information.
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Through his rigorous application of color – vivid blues and greens, for example – and improvisational brushstrokes, Kusanagi’s canvases evoke landscapes that are at once dynamic and serene. Instead of presenting a single scene, however, he understands abstraction as a tool through which he can capture the multiplicity of the wider environment. Within this space between figuration and abstraction, Kusanagi is able to contemplate the murkiness of time, place, and memory itself.
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Shinpei Kusanagi, Look above, 2022
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For more information contact info@altmansiegel.com or 415.576.9300.
