It is the theme I have continued secretly, ---by leaves, we live.--- The words of Patrick Geddes (http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Patrick Geddes.) These are one part of a series of my work.    SALT BOOK

I like reading. I read a book. There is also an interesting book. When I have finished reading, there is also a book disappointed. Normally I never read back again. There is my own at that time in each book. Act of shut a book in the salt is to shut the time of the book with me, my time.

Memory of the past connected to now. How & what books would have been published all over the world until now. There are times when written in parchment. There is a period that has been copied in hand. All of old Sutra in Japan was by hand copied. Young priests copied by hands huge numbers of sutras temple in China more than 1400 years ago. How many books are published every year in the world now? Words are inscribed there. WORD---It is a two letters of KANJI (Chinese letter) in Japanese. There are one Chinese character in the sense of saying and leaf. The meaning of the leaves of the words –by leaves, we live.---of Patrick Geddes, my friend, poet Gerry told me the words of leaves he said also is contained. Not only plant’s leaf also letters, characters. His words are carved in stone in front of the poetry library in Edinburgh, Scotland. It has been said soul is confined to the word in Japan from ancient time. Words have a soul. If someone open the mouth and say something, the words start to move between the people. Those words have a soul alone and walk themself. It is not just words in a book that I read, the words of the author only. The background of the word is born; there is a stack at the time of our humanity. We’ve been building up and piled up words in the long history. It must be like the heaping up books on the table. That's the history of mankind. Even the fact that I now live still survive, it is just one of a very very small history in the stack of the history of the human race far. Many books related me in the past are the something that will convey the soul of humanity to me. The soul of each word, I will dedicate my thanks – I am living my life now. I think that the history of the human race far. I think of the time that creatures of this star have carved in the history. There is a past I found the hope in the soul in each book. Salt book is also confine each time of me at that time. It is also a prayer of thanks and for the future of next generation. August 24, 2013

It was the first URABONE (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival) for mother who passed away last year. On the 16th, I went to look at the Torii(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torii) and lanterns to flow into the Hirosawano ike pond near my house to say good-by with my wife

What mother came back with the father for the first time this summer would have thought? My father was out in the garden always in holiday. Maki and pine, large tea olive, such a large garden tree, it is no choice to ask to the professional gardener. He was taking care of his small veritable field and the small fruit trees, such as persimmon, peach, plum, fig, nankin cherry. And he pulled out the weed. Weed is strong. And the garden was large enough. So he pulled out the weed some area and got very beautiful, but in next holyday the weed of other part in the garden grew up very fast. It was endless. It was a way to spend his holiday. Then, take a bath a little early, start to drink. My garden now is much smaller than the birthplace. After the daily walk, I also came to the yard work in the morning of the holiday these several years. Second son lives in the house still together. However, as long as I do not ask for help, he also does not attempt to do anything in the garden. It was completely the same when I was young. Now I can understand the feeling of my father. I do not want and expect his help. I have done As if to follow and trace my father was doing after all. It is not a rush house job. As a matter of course, the some time of the holiday, I notice such myself.

I wonder ---is this genetic? Come to think of it---my father was getting avoided to meet people as getting old as years pass by. In some points, he loved loneliness. Now I think he loved calm and peaceful time. And I think of myself---I am becoming so in Japan especially in Kyoto now. Of course I like to meet friends and drink together, but to be honest I am tired about weissraum. I just met just some friends and just made my works and just thought. And walk and drink. While I think a little like that, I also pull out the weed in the garden. Accumulated weed, leaves, branches which got dry is also beautiful…… Weed is beautiful. And endless is emptiness.

Well, I send to you the report of the second of the LAST RUN. The main works of the exhibition is the material of the book written by Kazumi Takahashi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazumi_Takahashi) that I bought in my high school days

And, on the theme I have continued, by leaves, we live. The words of Patrick Geddes, this is a series of work, it is also a part. Below these is the description of the work of this time.

When we lived at home in Omuro, the new house next to the main house we built, there is considerable big room for two of our sons. West wall of the room had become a big bookshelf. I do not remember the time of the year. I asked to my wife who was the HOUSE WIFE at that time to sell almost all of my books to used bookstore except some books. Someone from the bookstore came and picked up. I might feel ----- The book I never read again shows the time that I lost just passed by. It might be one reason----I think I do not want to see the books being dusty in the playing room for sons. I had no memories----how many books are there…..Of course I did not count the numbers, but it was a quantity of pretty. Since then, I began to borrow the books at the library. I read books only because it is fun. I normally forget the book I read. One of the writer, KAZUMI TAKAHASHI, he was in favor in my high school days. At that time, paperback also was sold, but some of his novels did not have in paperback. There were only the hardcover books. So I should buy from the little pocket money. I had been left several books including some hardcover books, There were the books had been left that I thought I might read again some day. The three books of them became the material of SALT BOOK several years ago.

One book was left in my studio was the material of this time, it's first edition book “ TASOGARE NO HASHI” means “Bridge of Twilight". After May this year, returning from Europe, I should be in the hospital, and had surgery for cataract of the left eye. It was hospitalization of 4 days and 3 nights. It was long. But my attending doctor recommended of the safe. Surgery was successful. I was OK but alcohol and tobacco are forbidden in the hospital. I finished reading some books that I borrowed from the library. I got the permission to go out, went back to drink beer to WEISSRAUM. And then I brought back to the hospital this "Bridge of Twilight" and the best selection from first edition "Grimm fairy tale collection". Of course, it was beyond the memory such as the contents of the "Bridge of Twilight". As I look at the page, I had been high school students had left the marks in the book. I had been there at the time. It must be 17 years old. Was there I had been immature brat of more than 40 years ago. Look at myself in high school days; what I made is the work of me just now just before 60 years old.

On the fallen leaves of white Magnolia, the characters, kanji phrases, which are cut from the book, are glued. The first piece, from each page, two kanji phrases that are cut lined. When people see kanji phrases of 276, even so they can image the contents of this novel. In the way of construction of the sentence, there is the world of the writer. In the selection of kanji phrases, there is the world of the artist. And I think to be able to glimpse also my world from the choice of kanji phrases.

The second piece, a part of the last page of this book. It is the text in the page 276. --- It came accompanied by feelings ambivalent. --- 276 pages

The part of the page cutout is glued the original positional relation of the page. The third is the end of this book,,,,,,,,,, --- But on the 3rd of May '71, fell ill at last, ended in unfinished forever.

Paste on the fallen leaves of white magnolia, them, was closed with salt. Also the book after cut them, confined with salt. After the book was read over 40 years later again, my book over 40 years ago was confined with the salt. Anymore this will not be read. Even now, while I am in Kyoto, I read the books. For me, it's because it’s fun. It must be very difficult to translate the book written in Japanese. To translate foreign language----it is impossible in some point to translate just belong the author intended. It will be difficult to translate Shuhei Fujisawa. I like his world. Only one book published in English. But it is not the best of his works. If someone even Japanese wants to enjoy the novels written by Fujiko Sawada, one must learn Kyoto language. Without learning Kyoto language like native, it must be difficult. There is a nuance not transmitted.

It is really difficult to convey to express something to others. Language is culture itself of each race. Each race has own ethnic character. And also words changes as times go by. Interpretation of the each word is different by individual. Rarely do we define the wards in the conversation. If so, it should be all what each other felt in the nuances at each time. Even with the words, it must be something spiritual or philosophical to convey or to express something. Over the wards or the nucleus of the wards, or beyond the wards…. When I think like,,,,,, I convince my world I make will not get sympathy. But! Still, I continue to make.

Burning summer in Kyoto has continued. I should move the tools, past works, etc from studio, but my body does not work. This exhibition will continue until the second week in September. From the 18th September, I leave here in kyoto for a while. See you then! takaya

8th OCT 2013

It is the image of circuit inside of the Silo.    

It is still the tradition to remain even today to make the hand copy of HEART SUTRAS. It is the Sutras in the style of my own. I have a walk every morning on the hills for more than 10 years near my home in Kyoto. I live in the north west of Kyoto city. Many of my friends who already visited to Kyoto know my walking course. I hope it should be a still good memory walking with me that path behind Ninnaji temple. I am observing every day the changing the nature and the season. Among them, through my everyday walking, my work is born. My Ikebana is also born from observing. Japanese oak disease is very miserable and sad. I made these works with all my prayers. I know the story of ash in this country. How our present time is affecting the changes in the natural environment? I think of us, about life now. I think about the era of us. I think about the future of our children.

Heart Sutra we called HANNYASINNKYOU in Japanese is written in 262 KANJI (Chinese letter) . I drew the fallen Oak leaves of 262 sheets instead of writing letters. I collected some of the fallen Oak leaves everyday. It is very sad by Oak disease to see fallen oak leaves every morning. And just closed up 262 leaves with salt.

I used the wood of died Oak for this 2 of the container. The Oak trees are so big, but I could just cut and bring only this size. And I asked to my friend, NAO, to paint by URUSHI (JAPAN—natural Japanese lacquer) There are also here it's the seeds of 2620 pieces.

They will germinate with a probability of one in ten. And I made the video of each leaf I drew. Each leaves looks like almost the same but completely different. We are living in the present day. We cannot return to the way of life of the generation of my father from now. I know well about. I am not the scientist. I am not the activist, only artist. I now will only pray

My Drawings continue…. Total it is 50m long……

Deathworld in darkness. Without light, it is completely ebony.

There is the soul of huge trees of the Japanese oak, which died there. The darkness in this silo lets me imagine YOMINOKUNI—we say in japan. It is the world after death. Ebony darkness. Let's pray for a new life being born from YOMINOKUNI. It is my work, this time. Surely a new life is born again. I believe no doubt. And it will surely become the big Oak tree again. I want to thank the Scottish friend who supported and helped this time. Without these help, I could not realize to exhibit my works.

Thank you my friends. Thank you Cupar art festival.

PS. I will be in Silo on this weekend in the afternoon. On SAT till 15:00 !! Please find the time and come…..in case---my mobile number 07774603645 After coming back to japan, I will make a video……..