Moment of Inertia

SHIMAUCHI Mika continues creating works under the theme of “independence”after having experienced the calamities of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, and as of late, has added terracotta works utilizing “no-yaki,” or open-firing techniques. Throughout the production process, Shimauchi has found similarities in the difficulties wielding fire mirror the difficulties in keeping our emotions and tendencies under control. During her residency, her research spanned from the human emotions of elation to the customs surrounding fire, which made an appearance in her collaborative and public productions of “open-firing.” The workshops led up to the opening of her solo-exhibition and presentation. Through various processes, she has sought to make observations on the primitiveness that modern society reveals from those who deal with the exhilaration of fire and (at the same time) those emotions present at festivals.

　　The first piece visitors encounter is “My Alter” in which these endeavors are clearly reflected. Focusing on the terracotta created in the open-firings, we see not only local representations of Hyottoko, Kamado God, folk tools surrounding the fire rituals, but also cameos of wooden kokeshi dolls and Star Wars figurines—pieces from the artist’s personal collection—all in a row. Two works with the same title of “Tainaimeguri,” one depicting a woman who contains a fire in her torso, the other showing a figure holding a torch before a mountain. The female body and anatomy plays a prominent role in the origins of fire stories, especially those told around Australia and New Guinea (*3). Furthermore, in Shugendo Buddhism, practitioners usually descend from the mountain (soil), symbolizing the womb, crossing the fire to end their pilgrimage. In contrast, the practitioners of Kashozanmaihoe in the Tsugaru area harness fire, becoming one with Fudo Myou to close the ceremony. Humans have a need for fire to mark beginnings and endings as well as in the purification process.

　　The splendor and gorgeousness of the Nebuta Festival, the representative fire festival in Aomori, is a necessary distinction between the bright and refreshing summers and the snow blanketed winters. Even a calm Aomorian gets in a loquacious mood when the topic of the Nebuta Festival is　mentioned. Known a fighting festival, it might have been an extraordinary way to release some of the tensions hidden within ourselves (*2). Shimauchi has discovered examples of these actions through her research in Aomori.

　　Mikhail BAKHTIN mentions “deviance,” “eccentricity,” “marriage of opposites,” and “vulgarization” as elements of “carnivalesque” (*3). Furthermore, he goes on to say that all cultured people have a desire to blend into the crowds (*4). Based on these, the atmosphere of the festival and protests alike invite people to expose a rarely seen facet of themselves to others, regardless of status, gender or norm.

　　On one hand, “Demonstraytion” portrays the enthusiasm of the parade, shaped into a stationary image, which is in turn being peered at with an inconsistent set of faces at the display of enthusiasm. There is a distance felt from the period of high economic rate and the Japanese economic bubble, especially for those in Shimauchi’s generation, which also leads to a disconnect to the feelings of enthusiasm and combative spirit behind the protests of the time. Furthermore, we can get a sense of the times looking at the barrage of criticism surrounding the 2021 Olympics, held for the second time in post-war Japan. If it is necessary to have this “carnivalesque” in our lives, we must also come to terms with the possible errors that occur in the exuberance at festivals. Though her wishes to witness various events could not be fulfilled this time due to the pandemic, she was able to nurture her interests in the unique Aomori customs of the Bon Festival and folklore.

　　Within these, the presence of Oshirasama (*5), invited us to delve into themeaning of being independent in her work “Let there be play!” For example,when talking about our own personal “independence,” one usually assumes that we are independent from others both mentally and financially. The guardian deity of the house, Oshirasama, is unique in that unlike other gods and idols, it does not follow the traditional free standing form. Through the hands of humans, it keeps its divinity (existence) while becoming independent through these outside forces. Much like a puppet in the hands of a person, it also mimics the way in which idols become famous through their audiences. The wall hosts an array of drawings, one of a horse representing the existence of other beings we depend on, while the hands are reminiscent of the unknown puppeteer, animating the puppet’s charisma into existence (*6).

　　Up until this point, these are all the works contained within “My Alter.” In this assortment, we can find a perfect union of the new things she came to discover and love in Aomori alongside the familiar things Shimauchi has long admired. A harmony of eternal and temporal beings. Meanwhile, our gaze cannot help but notice the fervor of the congregation in front of the altar.

　　The work “Eww,” looks intently at the overoppresive society we live in thatholds a standard strict to the point of isolation from our thoughts. Just asmud is the source of terracotta, its speckled patterns in the surround ingareas reminds us of the great effort and refuse involved in birth, alluding tothe story of Izanami’s role in creating the country. In addition to theafore mentioned image of the womb as the origin of fire, linking the imageof the mountain (soil) as a place of regeneration with that of fire, one canfind that while spitting out something is self-purification, this act could also be a part of the cycle of rebirth. The soil that was unearthed in Aomori has now moved to Shimauchi’s base, Kumamoto, and is currently in the process of transforming into the next works.

　　 “I won’t turn the other cheek.” casts a skeptical glance at the euphoric atmosphere. One can imagine the euphoric eyes of the youth impulsively enraptured by the flames (a great fascinating power). The eyes of the monsters who should be looking in the same direction, however, are not intoxicated in the least, as they are busy prancing around the town. Based on the Christian bible excerpt, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also,” aware of convention and conformity, the monsters stand ready in opposition to deception. The underrepresented gloomy youth of the countryside is visible in “Drawings about Fire: Savages.” The foreground is likely filled with the pomp of the festival, “popularization” parading on the main stage, however, this is a glimpse at the faces hidden behind firework tinted masks, perhaps out on the town as a temporary escape.

　　Tracing the relationships between the soil and fire, “The Insect’s Procession” (*7) is also a major inspiration and is present in the halls. In the “Self Portrait: I get my good looks from my dad,” one can see a figure made of straw—a material hardly used in the art world—bashfully clad in garments from a culture far from its own. The straw imitates the movements of
humans, and reminds us that, despite our different paths, we both return to the soil. In “I won’t turn the other cheek,” an insect, glimmering silver in the light passes by them, returning to the soil permeated by the endless by the modern day mindset to overcome the pandemic (*8) .

　　In the same way that air is essential for fire to rise up, gravity is key to the self-sustainability of the soil. “Thoughts on self-reliance: When working with fire, independent thinking is required” further reminds us of the ideal images of independence and rationality imposed by society, juxtaposed by the air dancer rising and falling wildly powered by the plastic fan, the clay attempting to imitate it pointlessly, draws our attention to the biorhythm within us orchestrated by our ever adapting bodies. The two distinctive beings – the air dancer which cannot rise without air and the ancient nature of the earth susceptible to gravity – are presented to us as a way to observe the multitude of facets in being human without favoring one over the other.

　　Air is needed for fire to burn. On one hand, SNS employs an air of justice and suspicion by harnessing the flames, and in turn scorching people’s hearts. “‘Civilized’ Haniwa” is perhaps one of those heading into the brimstone donning a beautiful aran pattern sweater. “The night is dark. Turn off ALL the lights.” is a quote from Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike’s speech in her endeavor to contain the pandemic. “The neon sign dyed my cheeks in pink and blue. (Kinshicho)” is not only about the fire which has transformed to neon lights in modernity, but also speaks to the innate urge, our nature, to come together by said fire despite outside forces.

　　The visitor traverses through time in the gallery, starting with the ancient practices of open-firing seen in “My Alter,” the prehistoric birth of fire represented in “Eww,” to the latest transformation of fire into brilliant neon lights. Fire requires air to exist in the same way we have an urge to connect with others while also exercising a level of self-control to prevent the fire from raging or becoming extinguished, and just as our ancestors before us, ties us back to the discussion of what it means to exist. The terms “independent” and “self-reliant” are often used interchangeably, consistency and uniformity of values leave room for a certain form of exclusivity. However, in “Quivering flames, ardent earth” Shimauchi has materialized a study about independence and its ambiguity by raising a mirror to our complexion, showing the paths we take created by our rhythmic movement, like dancing flames, in all directions – anchored by our catalyst. We can see her proposition to brandish her true nature in her future endeavors, flourishing as she goes. At least, if I remember correctly, the person in “Tainaimeguri” was wearing a down feather jacket and carrying a torch,weren’t they?

*1 James George FRAZER. “Myths on the Origins of Fire.” Chikuma Publishing, 2009.
*2 OYAMA Takahide “Longing for and Creation of ‘Traditions’: A Case Study of Kenka Neputa in the Tsugaru Region in Aomori Prefecture Research Based on Study of Materials on Transformation of Folk Rituals.” Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History, Vol. 205 pp.211-243, 2017.
*3 KITAOKA Seiji. “The Pioneers of Contemporary Philosophy Vol. 10 Conversation with Bakhtin and Carnivalesque” Kodansha Publishing, 1998, pp.316 – 320.
*4 Kitaoka, op. cit., pp.380-382.
*5 A tradition observed in the Tohoku areas is that of the home guardian deity being composed of a pair. One is the head of a woman while the complimentary half is that of a man, but it is common to have the head of a horse instead. Thanks to the Aomori Prefectural Museum and the Aomori City Board of Education, Shimauchi had opportunities to see various Oshirasama.Traditionally, the heads are covered in cloth and put on a supporting stick – heights ranging from 20 cm to over 1 meter.
*6 Shimauchi speaks of a “great power” that is obscured by modern society. (https://youtu.be/BTtFNpehaPU)
*7 The roots of Mushiokuri, or “The Insect’s Procession,” of the Tsugaru region is said to be in Aiuchi. In the form of a prayer for abundant crops, the locals make an “insect” out of straw which is paraded through the town before being placed in a tree, exposed to the wind until it returns to the soil. It is thought that insects that eat the crops are the incarnation of people who
suffered from famine, and so the action of the straw returning to the soil is like a funeral to honor our ancestors. Currently, in the “Okutsugaru Insect and Fire Festival” which has continued joint operations since 1964, the “insects” are ceremonially burned at the end as a nod to the plants and grasses burnt as a method of pest control.
*8 The Dozojin’s place is at the entrance of the village, in order to protect from calamities. At the Aomori Prefectural Museum, Shimauchi saw examples of the “Doll Display” events that would have taken place in the former Ume Settlement of Towada City, where the male and female pair of straw figures called Kaya dolls take on the job of welcoming evil, and in order to pacify
it, also have an offering of buckwheat rice cakes protruding from their chest.

Photography by OYAMADA Kuniya
Text by MURAKAMI Aya, Curator of Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori Public University
Translated by Vareria REYES