The majority of people seem to believe that it is good to explore a single theme or hone a certain technique, but I think it is the opposite and that it is better to abandon techniques that have become familiar. I think it's nice to have a fresh picture that looks like it was drawn for the first time yesterday. However, when I first started, I was unconscious of the act of applying paint, but now I have become accustomed to it, almost as if it were a technique. Nevertheless I can't give up painting.
I don't like one which the technique hides the paints and makes it look like nature, nor which the technique looks like technique, but I like the paint looks like paint. Even so, I felt like I should try again the painting method that I had given up on because I was too used to it. Is this just because I can't think of anything new to try, or is it an exploration of a theme? I don't mind either, and I've been trying it recently. I haven't had any exhibitions for a past year, and my thoughts on painting may changed due to different circumstances, such as my body becoming more and more fragile and my initiation into a certain martial art.
I feel like I've always enjoyed to apply paint until I feel like it. It's strange and interesting that sometimes I have to apply a lot to feel better, and other times I feel better after about 3 seconds. I wonder what's happening on my paper or canvas. If this is the phenomenon of painting, then I want to stand vertically on the border between painting and non-painting.
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2023年の桃居での髙瀬きぼりお絵画展へのコメント
ひとつのテーマを探求したり、ある技術を磨いたりすることを良いとする価値観が多数派に見えますが、ぼくはその逆で、慣れ親しんでしまった技術は捨てた方が良いと思っているし、きのう初めて絵を描いたような、そんな新鮮な絵を良いと思ってる。とはいえ絵の具を塗るというぼくの行為は、始めた頃は無自覚に、今ではしかたなく慣れ親しみ、まるで技術であるかのようです。それでも塗ることを捨てられずにいる。技術が絵の具を隠し自然のように見えたり、逆に技術が技術として見えたりしてしまわずに、絵の具が絵の具に見える、そんな絵が好きです。それなのに、慣れすぎたためにやめた描き方を、もう一度やってみる、という気分になった。これは新しい試みが思いつかないだけなのか、それともテーマの探求なのか。ぼくはどちらでもいいのだけど最近やってみている。ここ1年間展示がなかったし、体が壊れてきたり、ある武道に入門したりなど、今までとは異なる状況の中で、絵に対する考えが変わってきたのかもしれない。
ぼくはいつも、気がすむまで楽しく塗る、ということをしてきたような気がする。たくさん塗らないと気が済まないときと、3秒くらいで気がすむ時があって不思議でおもしろい。紙やキャンバスの上で何が起きてるのだろう。それが絵という事象なのだとすれば、絵と絵じゃないものの境界線上に垂直にぼくは立ちたい。
