domenica 8 aprile 2012

Interview with Kazuya Tsuji





q) Introduce yourself, name, age, location.


a)Kazuya Tsuji, Japanese, live and work in London, the UK


q) Can you describe your path to being an artist? When did you really get into it?


a)Most of my family was involved with art. My grandfather was a painter; my dad is an art fabricator and my mother - art teacher. These were extremely influential elements for me so I am not sure exactly when I got into art.


q) Describe your ideals and how they manifest in your work.


a)Through my practise I try to reclaim attraction towards disposable imagery that surrounds us: fashion magazines, second-hand books or old photographs; even if we are daily bombarded with such visuals, we hardly pay attention to them for their repetitive, mundane and anonymous character. This negligence is the niche for my practice, as I believe that true beauty breathes through the gaps in mundane knowledge and it can show the miraculous, the hilarious, the grotesque and the wonderful every step of the way. Moreover, the disposableness of reproducible images gives me chance for fantasizing or fabricating narrative.


q) Is music a part of your studio time? What do you listen to?


a)I don’t really listen to music in my studio any more. I used to choose a playlist for a specific kind of activity related to art making, but I think that sound doesn’t influence me too much nowadays – I can almost ignore it altogether when I focus on my practice.


q) How would you describe your work to someone?


a)I would say my works are something to do with discovery in everyday. So everyone can make it. I believe this is one of main concept on my practice.


q) Influences?


a)A lot of artists are very important for my practice and even for my personal life, but at the moment I am looking into works of John Stezaker, Méret Oppenheim, Marcel Broodthaers and Magritte.


q) Describe your process for creating new work.


a)It has something to with patience and discovery. In most cases my works appear out of a coincidence or mistake in the routine; when a page of a magazine is lit from behind it forms a juxtaposition that catches the eye; when an image is shattered by a prism, it multiplies into a new form. I employ familiar materials and try to create a fresh viewpoint.


q) What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?


a)I really don’t know. I would even like to be advised.


q) What are you really excited about right now?


a)I can never draw a line between artistic things that excite me and ‘hobbies’ I might have; strangely enough, sometimes they seem to mash together and even give me ideas for new work. I’m lately into fixing and building a bike. It is not really a brand new or shiny bike, it’s quite rusty and old but I am really attached to it.


q) What do you love most about where you live?


a)I enjoy seeing new exhibitions & events. Also, most big museums have free admission in the UK and I like to see classic art pieces.


q) Best way to spend a day off?


a)Going out to flea market or being lazy with my girl friend.


q) Upcoming shows/ projects?


a)I will take part in a group exhibition at Studio 54 Architecture (London) between April 12th-20th 2012 (Title tbc).


q) Where can people see more of your work on the internet?


a)http://kazuyatsuji.blogspot.com/