Play
2014 - Painting (Painting)
Shimon Minamikawa
In Play , the image comes from a fashion magazine from the 1950’s (USA) whose theme is costume sportswear from the 19th century. The image was first used in a series involving playing cards which have subsequently gone on to be used in a series of performances. There is cultural contextual displacement and confusion which is presented in the work which embodies the sense of – Play – that was introduced into Shimon’s work.
Since the beginning of his career, Minamikawa Shimon has made work that deviates from conventional painting and other formats. From portraits made with pale tones to abstract paintings using brilliant fluorescent colors, and a series called Sign Boards, in which he applies paint directly to an easel, Minamikawa’s works assume a variety of forms. And by showing a number of works with different qualities alongside each other, the artist rearranges the meaning of each individual piece, and turns the space into a work of art. In recent years, Minamikawa has collaborated with performance artists as Ei Arakawa and others, and produced works that traverse artistic genres.
