Hiro Yamagata (artist)

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Hiro Yamagata (born 山形 博導 Hiromichi Yamagata, May 30 1948, in Maibara city, in Shiga prefecture, Japan) is a painter/ artist, based in Los Angeles, California.

He has been considered as one of the most famous silkscreen artists because of his use of vivid colors in his pieces. However, he has been known as a contemporary artist using laser and hologram technology recently. He is recognized as a pioneer of contemporary laser art.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Life in Japan

He is the third child and has five siblings. His father ran a lumber business. Since he was a child, he had a talent for arts.

He enrolled in Samegai primary school in 1955. Whilst at school, he took art classes everyday after school. Also, he had precepts Taoism and Zen Buddhism from a chief at a neighboring Buddhist temple where he was always hanging out with his friends.

In 1961, he enrolled in Kounan junior high school. He enjoyed cycling with his friends around Lake Biwa , this is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. On a school trip, he visited Tokyo for the first time and was impressed by all the Neon sign and the atmosphere of the city. At the same time, he was moved and inspired by the beautiful lights of the stars which he occasionally viewed from a mountain with his family. He made his own telescope to enable his passion for observing the mysterious universe. At the same time, he started devoting himself to poetry.

In 1964, he enrolled in Maibara high school. He learned under the school art teacher, Masachika Sugimura, a painter of the Japanese traditional style "Nihonga". While Yamagata was studying under him, he found a book of Henri Julien Félix Rousseau’s paintings which had a great impact on his mind. His artworks started to be prized and he received awards; he also started showing his new interests in using lights in his art works. He went to Osaka to see how lights were being used in the big city. From this moment, he has been into power of lights. We can see the influence of lights upon him from his work, using fluorescent lights.

In 1967, he graduated from Maibara high school. At the same time, he became an official art student of Masachika Sugimura’s. However, he decided to move to Tokyo on his own in this year. Soon enough, while working at an artist’s material shop as a part time staff in Tokyo, an advertisement company found his taste something new. Then, he started working as an illustrator and a designer for the ad company. It is well known that while working there, he used to draw and paint on dice and grains of rice for refreshing himself.

He established JIM with Yuhji Itsumi, Youichi Sai, and Takeshi Shino in Shibuya, Tokyo in 1972.

[edit] Life in Europe

In 1972, though he moved to Milan for his girlfriend’s sake, things fell apart. Then, he decided to move to Paris and settled there. He visited the Louvre daily and devoted himself to his own art works. At this time, he was impressed by paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel.

In 1973, he had a contract to a gallery in Paris. Also, his very first one-man exhibition was held in Wien. Since then, he started putting his works at many galleries in Paris until he moved to L.A. In this year, his one-man exhibitions were being held in various European countries. Most his works, at that time, were paintings in water and oil colors. His well known lithographic and silkscreen prints were not created or produced yet. While being in Paris, he found a new passion for music, Jazz. He met musicians such as Akira Aida and Steve Lacy ,and poets, Brian Gysin, Allen Ginsberg,who had a great impact on Yamagata. He became fascinated with Jazz music and also became one of the Jazz event organizers, he invested his money in it. He started putting his time and effort into fundraising money for it too. The very next year, 1974, he succeeded in his first approach of an installation art piece with laser at the theater in Paris.


[edit] Life in America

In 1978, Yamagata made a contract with a gallery in L.A., and moved there. He became famous for his use of over hundreds of vivid colors on his print-like works. Later, he started having his private exhibitions around the U.S. and presenting his pieces to ArtEXPO. He was well known for his use of the bright silkscreen colors in his work. However, he was also very well known as a spectacular artist who paid his attention to every single detail of characters in his paintings so that you would be able to see their clear expressions and detail on their faces.

In 1983, “The Air Show” was chosen as the official piece of the Air&Space Bicentennial by the U.S.Organizing Committee, whose honorary president was Ronald Reagan. Later on, Yamagata established his world of blue, “Yamagata Blue.”

In 1984, Yamagata was offered by L.A. City to produce an official piece promoting tourism for the 1984 Olympic. In this year, the Rhode Island state designated September 21st as Hiro Yamagata’s Day and he was given the title of a honorary citizen. In addition to many exhibitions in U.S.A., he had his first solo exhibition in Tokyo.

In 1986, Yamagata was chosen as an honorary citizen in L.A. He was asked to produce an artwork for a hundred year memorial anniversary of Statue of Liberty by President Ronald Reagan in this year also.Edward Kennedy invited him to participate in a charity art project, “Very Special Arts.” Yamagata also had his exhibition tour in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Yokohama, and Fukuoka, Japan.

In 1987, He established the Yamagata Foundation. Collaborating with the Kennedy Foundation, he held a charity event for physically disadvantaged people. Hiromichi Yamagata’s collection of works selected by himself was published in this year.

In 1988, Yamagata produced official commemorative pieces for the Australia foundation memorial, the 100-year anniversary of the Eiffel Tower, and also an official portrait of President Reagan. As a collaborating work, he started the Golf Series with Jack Nicholas in this year.

In 1989, He held his exhibition tour in Tokyo, Shizuoka, Nagoya, and Osaka. Throughout his friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, Yamagata started donating to American Foundation of AIDS Research. Also, he donated all sales of his piece, “Fireworks,” to the International Red Cross Society for victims’ relief of the San Francisco Earthquake.

In 1990, Yamagata’s art pieces collection book, texts written by Arnold Schwarzenegger, “YAMAGATA” was published. Yamagata created his official art works for the 200 anniversary of American immigrants and Freedom Campaign in Berlin. Also, he held his one man exhibition at Mexico City National Museum of Art.

In 1991, he produced official pieces of 500 year anniversary for the discovery of Columbus New Continent and 3rd IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka. Yamagata began financial support to a record storage of New York Films in this year. Also, he and Elizabeth Taylor visited Japan as one of AIDS charity activities.

In 1992, Yamagata produced an official piece for the Barcelona Olympics. Also, he made a contract with Walt Disney Art Classic Inc,. Yamagata produced an official piece for Kyoto 1200 year celebration of the transfer of the capital by reflecting images of Temple Kinkaku.

In 1993, he participated in an international art event which was held by the international organization, Very Special Arts, promoting art activities for physically disadvantaged people with Gene Kennedy Smith. Yamagata also presented the collaboration work of “the new Golf series” with Jack Nicholas. In this year, he visited Japan for AIDS charity event.

In 1994, Yamagata began a project of making a documentary film about Beat Generation with Allen Ginsberg. He presented his painting on a vintage Mercedes Benz car as a description of beauty of the nature, “Earthly Paradise,” at Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery. This piece was named by Sam Hunter, one of art critics. Also, Glen Ginsberg donated a descriptive writing of the car as “Hiro Yamagata’s spirit, the automobile of the 20th century” for this exhibition. (You can also see the process of making the Earthly Paradise on a movie director, Jonas Mekas’s HP.) In this year, “Hiro Yamagata’s all prints collection” was published.

In 1995, being asked by the U.S. Olympic committee, he produced pieces for all of the events of the Atlanta Olympic. “Earthly Paradise” exhibition was held in Hakone, Venice, Monte Carlo, Montecatini, and Tirino.

In 1996, the exhibition of “Earthly Paradise” was held in Stockholm.

In 1997, the exhibition of “Earthly Paradise” was held in Vienna. Yamagata held an exhibition, “Element-A Laser Installation,” at Fred Hoffman Fine Art Gallery. He showed a work from “Earthly Paradise” incorporated with laser for the décor of the Academy Awards Governor’s Ball at the Oscars.

In 1998, Yamagata held the exhibition of “Earthly Paradise” in Rome. He had an exhibition of laser installation, “Sculpture of Light,” at the First St. Bridge in Los Angeles. In this year, Yamagata had an interview by NHK and made his first trip to China. In this trip, he produced a piece which was influenced by Taoism. Also, in this year, he began a piece themed for Japanese sprit, “the Essence of Japan.” Moreover, 80-yen stamps which he took charge of designing, “Omotya no Cha-cha-cha,” was issued by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications in Japan.

In 1999, Yamagata held “American Lips” exhibition at Marlborough Gallery in New York. He also produced a movie which is related to “Beat Generation,” a major feature documentary, “The Source,” and presented at Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. and N.Y. He held laser installation, “Laumeier Lights” at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, Missouri. Also, he produced an official piece for the two hundred year anniversary of the White House foundation. In this year, he visited Tibet because of an interview of Asahi TV station. Then, he started creating the series of “Eternity of the Silk Road.” Also, a PlayStation game which Hideki Tougi took charge of its music part, “YAMAGATA Digital Museum,” was released.

In 2000, Yamagata participated in a laser installation group exhibition, “An Active Life,” at Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. In this year, he held “the Solar System Installations, Project 1” at Yamagata Studio in Malibu. He was designated as an official artist of Grammy Awards in 2000 by the Grammy foundation.

In 2001, Yamagata held a laser installation, “NGC6093” at Ace Gallery in New York. He held a laser installation, “Photon 999,” at Guggenheim Museum Bilbao which Frank Gehry had designed, in Spain.

In 2002, Yamagata held an exhibition of laser installation, “Quantum Induction” at Pepperdine University.

In 2003, Yamagata held an exhibition which was collaborated with NASA, “Art&SPACE exhibition-Hiro Yamagata and the world of NASA,” at Yokohama Seaport. His piece in this exhibition was held indoors and made by laser reflection of innumerable cubes hanging from the ceiling of two huge cubic structures which was surrounded by holograms. Visitors at this exhibition put polarizing lenses on to see the piece. However, the exhibition was ended sooner that it should have been because of the number of visitors did not increase as much as expected. It was to say that people thought they would see Hiro Yamagata’s print works in the exhibition; the description of this exhibition was not appropriate so that they were disappointed. Later on, Yamagata held a laser installation exhibition, “Super Nova 3” at COSI Columbus Science Museum in Ohio. Also, he participated in an event, “300 year anniversary of Sankt-Peterburg municipal government, a Night of Sound and light,” to show his laser installation. In this year, he also held an exhibition, “Hiro Yamagata Original Pictures” in Okinawa

In 2004, Yamagata held a laser installation, “Quantum Field X3” at Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain. In this exhibition, the laser which was coming from a disk shaped object set upon a hill aside the museum reflected and lightened up two cubic buildings’ walls surrounded by holograms which were set outside of the museum. Starting from the exhibition in Yokohama, Yamagata’s world of laser installation began to expand in scale.

In 2005, Yamagata shared his idea, the biggest laser installation project ever, that he would attempt is to revive the destroyed statue of the Buddha with large-scale laser beams in Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan. He said that he would use energy being saved during daytime which was based on solar power generation and conduct his laser installation project after sunset. The extra energy he would have would be sent to the local electrification business. This project would be conducted under its budget of $60.000.000. In this year, he showed his laser installation at gala　party which was held at Geffen contemporary museum in L.A. Also, Yamagata participated in a collaboration event of laser installation and electrical music, “METTRIPPIN” and presented his work, “Theory Six.” He also participated in the “Earth, Water, Fire and Air Festival” in the Castle in Cape Town, South Africa were he experimented in a pentagonal shaped castle, installed nearly 200 mirrors and reflected laser all around the building and the city. In this year, Sydney Pollack’s documentary film, “Sketches of Frank Gehry” was screened in Toronto Film Festival. Starting from Canada, this documentary film was screened in all over the world. Hiro Yamagata joined this film making as an executive producer.

In 2006, Yamagata held an exhibition, “Air” at the Los Angeles Torrance Art Museum. Also, he held his installation, “Sculptor of Light,” at Buschlen Mowatt Galleries in Palm Desert.

In 2007, Yamagata held an exhibition, “Transient” at Gehry Partners, in Los Angelos. This was artworks of Indian ink drawings which brings you into the light and shade world on Japanese hand made wrinkled papers on gigantic canvases. If you get close to the canvases you would see the detailed pencil work; this is a miniature world as if you are having a kaleidoscopic moment.

[edit] Honorary citizenships


[edit] References

Hiro Yamagata in Japanese: [1]


[edit] External links

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