!"#$%&'#"()*#$+&,,#'-GUIDE#171 MARCH —12 MAY 2012

Noriko Ambe: Inner Water

.(.$/'(01!$('+

)2*2$/(*!&+#$

PAID*-'&3)*#$).14#'*1!-

SYRACUSE, N.Y.

THE WAREHOUSE GALLERYSyracuse University350 West Fayette StreetSyracuse, NY 13202

!56$%78659:;6$+7<<68=$>;$7?$>?@68?7@>9?7<$contemporary art venue of the SUArt Galleries at *=87A:;6$)?>B68;>@=2$!56$C7<<68=D;$E>;;>9?$>;$@9$F86;6?@$6G5>H>@>9?;$7?I$F89C87E;$H=$78@>;@;$J59;6$work engages the community in a dialogue regarding the role the arts can play in illuminating critical issues of our life and times.

EDITORJessica Reed

DESIGNERRainer M.Wehner

GALLERY STAFFAnja Chávez––Curator of Contemporary Art'7>?68$K2$%65?68LL#G5>H>@>9?$M6;>C?68$7?I$Preparator

GALLERY ASSISTANTS

!59E7;$/6@68$&?I687:LL&;;>;@7?@$/86F787@98Emily Marie Barry––Gallery AssistantAsh Braunecker––Gallery AssistantCharlette Caldwell––InternMarika Martinez Cleto––Gallery Assistant Sarabeth Honor Fera––Gallery AssistantJeffrey Robert Ippolito––Gallery AssistantSheyla Laviera––InternEmma Diane McAnaw––Gallery Assistant*7875$!87ILL*)$#?C7C6E6?@$06<<9JShelby M. Zink––Gallery Assistant

Website––thewarehousegallery.syr.eduInformation––whginfo@syr.edu49>A6$NOPQR$SSOTUSQV$07G$NOPQR$SSOTUSWS

!5>;$ ;F8>?C$ !56$%78659:;6$+7<<68=$ F86;6?@;$ .6J$ -98X$ 3>@=TH7;6I$ Y7F7?6;6$ 78@>;@$ .98>X9$&EH6$ NH2$ PWUZ[$ *7>@7E7R2$ 1?$ 568$ \8;@$ )*$E:;6:E$ ;9<9$ ;59J[$ &EH6$ A867@6I$ 7$ ?6J$ ;>@6T;F6A>\A$ >?;@7<<7@>9?$ >?$@56$E7>?$C7<<68=$86]6A@>?C$@56$@87C>A$^VPP$6B6?@;$ >?$Y7F7?$@589:C5$the use of video projections and her signature large­scale paper cutouts that evoke waves. Nature plays an important role in Ambe’s work, and it points to larger issues, such as the natural forces determining our global landscape, and the relationship between nature and humans throughout time. A recipient of prestigious awards such as the AICA Award and Pollock­Krasner 09:?I7@>9?[$&EH6D;$J98X$57;$H66?$6G5>H>@6I$>?@68?7@>9?7<<=[$ >?A<:I>?C$7@$@56$K:;6:E$9_$Arts and Design, the Japan Society in New York, and the Kyoto University of Art and Design in Kyoto, Japan. Her work is also in the collection of the Whitney Museum of Art.

#`"1a1!1(.$3"#3b,1*!

Notes: height precedes width precedes depth. All artworks have been made available A9:8@6;=$9_$.98>X9$&EH6$7?I$,987$'6=?9<I;$+7<<68=$N&:;@>?[$!`R2$&<<$>?;@7<<7@>9?$F59@9C87F5;$are courtesy of David Broda.

Inner Water, 2012

*>@6T;F6A>\A$ >?;@7<<7@>9?$ NB>I69$ F89c6A@>9?[20 minutes; paper cutouts; and miniatureartist book People: Images from the World)Variable dimensions

MAIN GALLERY:

Video projection onto 3 Styrofoam screensNWU$G$PQde[$WU$G$PSQe[$A>8A:<78$;A866?$^We$diameter)d$@7H<6;$J>@5$F7F68$A:@9:@;(variable dimensions)

VAULT:

Miniature artist book cast in resinNQ$f$G$Q$f$G$S$geR/7F68$A:@9:@;$NOV$ge$I>7E6@68R$

ABOVE: Inner Water (paper cutouts; detail), 2012

COVER:Inner Water (miniature artist book; details), 2012

A VOID: NORIKO AMBE’S “INNER WATER”

BY ANJA CHÁVEZ

What is the creation, how could art survive? […] I am trying to embody relationships between humans, time, and nature. For this show, I will try to make a large scale site­;F6A>\A$>?;@7<<7@>9?$@9$6GF86;;$h!>E62e$Noriko Ambe (May 2011)1

Up to the present, Noriko Ambe’s vocabulary has consisted primarily of beautifully detailed hand­cut sheets of F7F68$7?I$78@>;@;$H99X;2$1?$568$\8;@$E:;6:E$solo­show, the artist was asked to produce 7$ ?6J$ H9I=$ 9_$ J98X$ @57@$ 7II86;;6;$ !56$Warehouse Gallery’s space (main gallery 7?I$ @56$ B7:<@R[$ 7?I$ @9$ 6GF68>E6?@$ 7?I$venture out onto new terrains. In the year prior to her show, Ambe proposed at least three different installations, all of which, upon her return from Japan last spring, 86_6886I$@9$@56$@87C6I=$>?$Y7F7?[$@56$!959X:$earthquake, tsunami, and the subsequent nuclear catastrophe in March 2011.

1?$@56$6?I[$7?I$_98$@56$\8;@$@>E6$>?$568$A78668[$Ambe produced a video installation as part 9_$ 568$ 6G5>H>@>9?$ 6?@>@<6I$ Inner Water. In A867@>?C$ @5>;$J98X$ ;56$J7;$7;;>;@6I$H=$ !56$Warehouse Gallery’s Syracuse University #?C7C6E6?@$ 06<<9J[$ *7875$ !87I2$ !56$video itself involves hundreds of Ambe’s photographs converted to a video loop. Each image is shown for two seconds, J5>A5$ F89I:A6;$ 7$ F6A:<>78$ @6EF987<$ ]9J$over the twenty­minute projection, where the pauses between photographs are as important as the images themselves. After having watched Ambe’s video on its multi­dimensional maelstrom­like screen, it may come as some surprise to learn that none of the images were shot on the coast of Japan. Yet, the viewer almost inevitably

assumes that he or she is seeing images from Japan, presumably near the site of the tsunami of March 2011. In fact, the photo shoot took place on Long Beach (NY), not _78$ _89E$ J5686$ &EH6$ <>B6;2$ !5>;$ H<:88>?C$of location is as thoroughly orchestrated as is the time­lapse in her video, and as are her painstakingly detailed paper cut­outs. In other words, her video is no simple reportage or the emotionally vacuous ‘posting’ of tragic images that has become ;:A5$7$@J6?@=T\8;@$A6?@:8=$A9EE9?F<7A6$N-9:!:H6[$07A6H99X[$!J>@@68[$6@A2R2$$

!9$ 86@:8?$ @9$ @56$ F89c6A@>9?$ ;A866?[$ 7;$ 7$sculptor, Ambe has moved away from a two­dimensional screen. Using a hot wire foam cutter, Ambe drew jagged holes into each of the three Styrofoam screens that are suspended, one behind the other, from the two beams that frame the main gallery’s space. Viewed from afar, the screens are almost imperceptible. Yet, given the holes in each of the screens, the projected images seem to break away or ;<>I6$_89E$9?6$;:8_7A6$@9$@56$?6G@[$J5>A5$draws the viewer into the underlying events that prompted the piece as a whole.

Inner Water also consists of eight large paper cutouts arranged on tables (where only the legs are visible) that are laid out @589:C59:@$@56$E7>?$C7<<68=2$!56=$;:CC6;@$water or perhaps tectonic plates shifting in different directions, while taking their cue from the video’s images of water, waves, and foam. Another detail, Ambe measured up 25.5 inches from the gallery ]998$7?I$57I$>@;$J7<<;$F7>?@6I$C86=$:F$@9$this height so that they would match the A9<98$ 9_$ @56$A9?A86@6$ ]998$7?I$ 86>?_98A6$@56$h>??68$J7@68e$;F7A62$ In contrast, the adjacent vault is painted entirely black and consists of only two small objects, one of which is a miniature book on a shelf entitled PEOPLE: Images from the

World that seems plunged into water and cast in a resin cube. Quite removed, and with no immediately apparent connection, Ambe has placed on the ground a cylindrical sculpture, like a mini, circular version of the maelstrom­like video­screen. !5>;$ J98X$ >;$ E7I6$ _89E$ 7$ J7@68T86;>;@7?@$paper called yupo that is wrapped in ;66E>?C<=$ >?\?>@6$ A9?A6?@8>A$ A>8A<6;$ 7?I$F<7A6I$9__TA6?@68$9?$@56$B7:<@D;$]9982$!56$

<>C5@>?C$ >;$ 7<E9;@$ ?9?T6G>;@6?@[$J5>A5$9?<=$>?@6?;>\6;$@56$B9>IT<>X6$I78X?6;;2$ !56$B7:<@$>;$E67?@$@9$H6$@56$<7;@$899E$;66?$by the viewer, and the sense of emptiness is overwhelming; that is until one turns around and looks out toward the main gallery. From this darkened and nearly empty space, almost as if the viewer were in the small cube on the shelf, one again sees the video framed within the open doorway between the two spaces. And if the viewer lingers, he or she will see that images in @56$B>I69$ 86_68$I>86A@<=$ @9$ @56$]998$F>6A6$in the vault, while the ‘sunken’ miniature book subtly recalls some of the images, spread by the media in the aftermath of March 2011, of so many personal objects and living beings dragged down into the waters of the ocean. !56$ B7:<@$ @5:;$ 9__68;$ 7$ J7=$ @9$ I6A>F568$the installation as a whole. Holed up in the vault, Ambe brings the viewer to a stop, @9$F7:;6$7?I$@9$86]6A@$9?$N98$_89E$J>@5>?R$@5>;$ h1??68$ %7@68e$ 7;$ @56$ 86E7>?;$ 9_$ @56$7_@68E7@5$9_$@56$6B6?@;$9_$K78A5$̂ VPP2$!56$viewer pauses and moves on, as do the images of the video projection, moving through rupture and continuity, in time.

Watching the silent video again, from the vault, the woman in the images walks into the water, touches it and the sand. She is surrounded by nothing but water, sky, and the horizon. For the most part, her

face is turned away from the camera. She is impersonal, or perhaps she could be everybody (PEOPLE: Images from the

World), every viewer, but also distinctly herself. Walking through the gallery and then into the vault, the viewer shares in her walks through the shore waters. But she is also distinct, and the viewer cannot absolutely share in what her walk can mean to her or to the artist alone. Certain events can be shared but only to a point, @56$F9>?@$9_$h1??68$%7@68e2$

My sincere thanks to the artist and to all of the SU faculty and students who worked tirelessly on this 6G5>H>@>9?[$>?A<:I>?C$!>E$a89J68[$M6;>C?$%98X;i$37;$Holman and her fantastic students from Industrial and Interaction Design (Kathryn Kelly, Roseida Lo, and Sungho Youn); Yutaka Sho for introducing me @9$-:8>X9$!7X757;5>$J59$X>?I<=$7;;>;@6I$@56$78@>;@$9?$site; and all of the Warehouse Gallery’s dedicated J98XT;@:I=$ ;@:I6?@;$ N!59E$ &?I687:i$ #E><=$ a7886i$Marika Cleto; Sarabeth Fera; Jeff Ippolito; Emma McAnaw; Shelby Zink; and particularly Ash Braunecker), interns (Sheyla Laviera and Charlette Caldwell), and my colleagues at Light Work, *)&8@$ +7<<68>6;[$ !56$ %78659:;6$ +7<<68=[$ 7?I$ @56$Warehouse building for their continued support, 6;F6A>7<<=$9:8$A:;@9I>7?$!7E78$*A9@@2$

1 Noriko Ambe in an e­mail correspondence with the author (May 11, 2011; May 16, 2011).

,#0!jInstallation view; main gallery

'1+"!j$Installation view; vault with view into main gallery

,#0!j$$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ &a(4#jInstallation views; main gallery Inner Water (paper cutouts; detail), 2012