"What is I?"
Wood ・ Iron ・ Plastic
Sculpture works combining the three ages of civilization
Sculpture is a direct form of artistic expression in which the material used plays an extremely
important part of the message and how that message is received. As human beings we have natural
feelings and deeply unconscious responses to all materials. In this exhibition, each piece of
sculpture is made of wood, iron and plastic, the key materials in the history of human civilization.
Human life at this moment is heavily dependent on wood, iron and plastic. Without these materials
we could not have the world we live in. Without wood, there could be no paper. Without iron there
could be no steel, no high buildings, no trains... And without plastic, the convenience and endless
forms of modern consumption and life would not be possible. These materials are the foundation of
our very lives. In these works, I want to express, more than anything,what human beings are, so
that we can think more deeply about what we are ("What is I?"). Today,both our history and our
future are intimately connected with wood, iron and plastic.
... This is the driving force behind these pieces and my work in general. Think about who we are,
and think about who we want to become. Because life is precious.
Mineo Kuroda
Kyoto, August 31, 1999