Story 6. Reaction

Distorted shape of water surface.

In the previous work “Pond“, the theme was the surface of the water, the boundary between the real world and the ideal world.

It projects a character aiming for a breakthrough of the current situation and a challenging leap into the unknown, like a frog jumping into the moon reflected on the surface of a pond.

In the current work “Reaction“, I attempted to express the reaction that result from challenges by portraying them as “changes in boundaries,” in changes of the water’s surface. It is positioned as the follow-up to the “Pond.

Attempting to jump into the water’s surface and break through, but the water’s surface itself transforms like a viscous slime, making it challenging to break through.

The shape formed after diving into the water’s surface, with bubbles emerging underwater.

A form where changes appear in places where no force was applied, due to the resonance of ripples created on the water’s surface.

The results, effects, and feedback in response to a challenge.

Striving towards something, aiming to make a change, and wholeheartedly attempting a challenge.

Then, the ideal image that was in your mind becomes a reality, turning into something tangible. It can either all come to fruition as envisioned or only some parts of it.

Alternatively, no matter how much you challenge yourself, there are times when you cannot change the current situation, and no change occurs.

Even if you cannot bring about the intended change, there are times when you can still gain something by persevering and not giving up.

Through challenges, unexpected changes and feedback can occur that you hadn’t even thought of.

Even if the results are different from what you had imagined, there are times when you can achieve even more.

Challenging something is never in vain.

Diving into the unknown territory beyond the water’s surface, I want to embrace everything that emerges there with a positive attitude.

As contemplated in the previous work “Pond”, viewers perceive “flow of time” from “water”. 

In the current work, by contrast, the water which inherently lacks a fixed form, appears frozen, like ice, because it has been stabilized.

In reality, this vase is not made of ice; it doesn’t melt, and its shape remains unchanged. It appears to be a work that captures a moment as if time has been frozen and something has been placed in the water.

You can still gain something by not giving up, even if you fail.

For this vase, a mold was created using clay and silicone, and then resin was poured into it to produce the piece.

However, there were issues with the mold-making process. The resin lacked from the mold, leading to unintended air bubbles and a shortage of resin.

I ended up with a lump of resin that was like trash.

Therefore, I hesitate on whether to give up on the project and start over, but my determination and frugality wouldn’t allow me to discard that lump. I decided to get creative and make it work, somehow shaping it into a finished piece.

Although it turned out differently from what I had originally envisioned, I believe that unexpected positive effects, such as the feeling of overflowing air bubbles, were achieved.

This work embodies the theme “challenge and its effects.”

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