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 Trace #1197 By Etsuko Ichikawa. Courtesy of Randall Scott Gallery |
Ichikawa's work is consistent as each piece is an abstract pattern made from the glass on paper. The marks are brown and smokey and the color shifts ever so slightly depending on the pressure and intensity of the heat from the glass. Each piece captures the movement used in its making. Some have delicate strokes and others have harsh, hurried lines. It is beautiful and simplistic but the result isn't as captivating as the process.
Projected onto the upper portion of the gallery wall is a video of Ichikawa in action. The short video is called Deai, which means encounter in Japanese. In it we see Ichikawa stamp, drizzle and roll blown glass onto paper. Her actions are quick and controlled. The mark making is fast as time is of the essence. In some instances this process sets the paper on fire. An assistant squirts water onto certain areas, helping to cool and set the marks.
In the video you see Ichikawa work on extremely large sheets of paper though the largest works on display in Trace are only 40 by 60 inches. These pieces are fluid and calm. The abstract markings float in the center of the paper with only small, light strands entering or exiting the page. The burn marks look very similar to charcoal, a medium used in drawing. These designs have the luxury of space, helping the detail of the line stand out. Some of the lines are thin and hard, and others are wide and soft.
Trace #11906 contains a dark center that is almost completely charred. This tightly burned area resembles embers as they cool. Small flakes of the torched paper look ready to come off if touched. This subtle detail can only be seen from very close, whereas the composition as a whole is best viewed from farther away.
There are smaller works here as well. These are more tense compositions. The markings are concentrated due to the smaller canvas size, using the majority of the paper. The lines also enter and exit the paper more often. This treatment shifts the mood of her work and Trace #1747 and Trace #1197 (above) feel anxious, like hurried scribbles.
Trace is on display through February 14 at Randall Scott Gallery. The gallery is located at 1336 14th St NW and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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It's as if the artist installed a high speed camera right above Monkey's workspace, thereby capturing the exhalation of controlled substances during his musings.