Seth High Contemporary

"Kamiwaza Artist Print Fair"

August 23-26, 2012 【Kyoto @ Gakei Gimlet Art Space】
September 6-9, 2012 【Nagoya @ Tokiori】
February 7-10, 2013 【Tokyo @ Higure】


For each day of the Kamiwaza Art Fair, Seth High Contemporary will be showing new photographic works that have been completed just hours before going on exhibition. Within minutes of taking the pictures on America's west coast, Seth will send the files to Japan, where they will be printed on archival paper and quickly exhibited at the gallery. By showing extremely current work as opposed to a pre-selected collection of 'greatest hits', the artist and viewers alike will face new challenges. The artist hopes that this interactive process will reduce the perceived 'distance' between artist and audience as well actual physical distance between the artist and exhibition space. Moreover, by showing new works each day, Seth High Contemporary will be criticizing the static nature of gallery shows and giving visitors a reason for attending the exhibition more than once.

「紙技百藝」期間中の毎日、セス・ハイ・コンテンポラリーは展示される数時間前に完成したばかりの新しい写真作品を発表する。アメリカ西海岸で撮影した数分の後、セス・ハイから日本に送られた映像ファイルは記録紙に印刷され、ギャラリーで即座に展示される。極端なまでに「最新」の作品の展示は、事前に「名作集」から選抜された作品のそれに比べ、作家と観覧者の両方に新しい挑戦を提示する。作者はこのインタラクティブなプロセスによって観覧者と作家の間に感じられる「距離」だけでなく、作者と展示会場の物理的距離も縮められると期待している。さらに、新作を毎日発表する事によって、セス・ハイ・コンテンポラリーはギャラリー展示の静的性質についての論評を提示するとともに、観客に何度も展示を観覧しに来る理由も提供している。

Ryuzaburo Tagawa

"Frames"

December 25, 2011 through February 24, 2012 【Tokyo】

For this show Tagawa collected antique frames across the American West. He then photographed each from both the front and back. After adding color to the photographs and printing them on German fiber paper, he placed 2 photographs (front and back) into each frame.

Like the frames themselves, each set of photographs is one-of-a-kind. There are no editions. Though these playfully postmodern pieces are highly conceptual, they also have a striking visual impact.

At the opening reception, Tagawa will give a talk on the artist Howard Hodgkin, whose work he found to be a major inspiration.

Sam Soox

"WINDOWS"

July 7 – August 14. 2010 【Tokyo】
'Windows' is a new collaboration by Sam Soox and S.H.Contemporary. It features 70 framed photographs of 'windows' taken in Japan during Soox's recent 6-month residency at Kanto Art University. As with all of the artist's publications and exhibitions, Soox merely turned over his digital image data to the gallery, which selected the theme and pictures. The impetus for 'Windows' was a conversation between Seth High and Sam Soox about the artist's life-long attraction to windows. Soox's text, '50 Reasons Why I Love Windows' is a crucial part of the work itself.

Like the majority of Sam Soox's photographic work, the images of 'Windows' often attempt to explore the ways in which people engage with the natural world. Believing that pictures must simultaneously have 'social and aesthetic appeal', Soox also takes great care when composing his photographs - Critic Melissa Xu has gone as far as to call them 'social minimalism'. The works will be on view at S.H.Contemporary in Tokyo from July 7th through August 14th. Archival prints will be available in editions of 5. Contact the gallery for further information.

Janet Carson

"NEW WORK"

July 7 – August 14. 2010 【Tokyo】
Along with her recent lens drawings, S.H.Contmeporary presents a new performance piece by the acclaimed contemporary artist, Janet Carson. Titled 'Pose III', the work involves the artist going around the gallery with a digital camera during the exhibition opening party and asking people to pose for pictures. Like in all of her performances, no actual pictures will be taken. A video of the performance will be shown during the exhibition's entire run. Building on her controversial pieces 'Pose I' and 'Pose II', in which she maintained a constant photographer's stance in front of tourist sites for hours at a time, Carson, is interested in exploring how people behave with or in the presence of cameras.