Art Complex Museum
Images and Journal Entries from The Art Complex Museum solo exhibition:
Robert Castagna, Kyoto: Art and Idea, July 24 – October 2, of 2011
Introduction: It was in Kyoto where the “idea” started to take precedence over the visual form. An artist is nothing if he does not have an idea, a thought which to translate. After photographing I would gather these thoughts while sitting in cafes and my journal became a close confidant. It created space and time to evolve a separate aesthetic universe. It was through journals that the concepts of geometry, isolation and symbolic meaning started to take to form. A journal becomes your consciousness. Those ideas that enter it become intrinsic and part of the framework of your thought.
Zen Line:
“To the left is the beginning of a zen garden, the raked coarse sand. To the right is the foot path. The line represents the artist’s path, a metaphor revealing balance between the path we walk daily and the beauty that we seek. The Zen Line.”
2007 Artist’s Journal
“Cafe Culture: It is in a cafe that you are free to wander in thought, to create. It is different from your home where everything reminds you of something to do. For the price of a cup of tea, glass of wine or coffee you rent your real estate. The real estate being a table, a chair and the floor underneath. For this small price you can spend an hour or two, or even more, perched on your chair free to work. A cafe is different – to sit alone in thought or work is to breath intellect from every pore. It is as if your mind, that creative world of future realms, merges smoothly with the culture of the cafe. The merger is seamless, making real the thought that emanates from within. Ideas are allowed to germinate, pour forth and mingle with the world without a hint of invalidation. They enter as new born children – beautiful yet vulnerable and needing your attention. You will feel completely free to work, play, write and think for hours while sipping your coffee one sip at a time. Occupying your real estate practically free of charge – for the price of a coffee, a cup of tea or a glass of wine.”
2007 Artist’s Journal
“I’m not trying to get too close to reality but stay within the framework of my own universe impression. What I’m looking for is an impression – not a representation.”
2010 Journal
“At Ginkakuji (The Temple of the Silver Pavilion) I found the autumn equivalents. Artistically these equivalents suggest soft layers of color and represent myopic views on nature. Some are the same viewpoint with different focal points while others stand alone. Compositions take into account the various layers of nature represented and deliberately choose to blur or focus. They can be considered a bird’s eye view of nature, or even that of an insect.”
Kyoto Autumn Journal
“There is the work of art and then there is the intelligence behind the art: the zeitgeist of the piece.”
Kyoto Autumn Journal
“The art of photography is the art of isolation and extraction, able to see forms and geometry outside its context.
“Geometry: an arrangement of objects or parts that suggests geometric figures and deals with the measurement, properties, lines, angles, surfaces and solids.”
Kyoto Spring Journal
“I met him at a cafe. I gave him a photograph which he said was a poem. We then discussed haiku as he is a haiku leader. His poem to me was written in Japanese. ‘Kyo’ stands for Kyoto, ‘kawa’ river. ‘Shira’ is the name of the river that runs just outside the cafe in the heart of Gion.”
a traveler
has ancient american heart
in Kyo-Shirakawa
Kyoto Spring Journal
“An artist creates his art, but also considers his creation and its process. A true artist develops a philosophy about his art.”
2007 Artist Journal
“Our last evening in Kyoto was spent at the café. It was to be an early evening of saying good bye. But Kaori mentioned that Mr. Tomonori would soon be by. Upon his arrival the conversation soon flowed and a bottle of the just released Beaujolais Nouveau was opened. Kaori joined us and the night went long, or at least longer than planned. The café was like that. Innocent beginnings turned into new friends and long nights. The café has a magical quality about it, putting people in good spirits and willing to make new friends. Its location does that. In the heart of old Gion, along the Shirakawa, the boulevard sings no matter what season. I dream of a winter’s night and snow while sipping a glass of red wine. It’s festive in Kyoto with everyone celebrating the season, no matter what time of year. But the café, with its festooned holiday lights along the narrow outside deck, frames the season and puts you in a mood. One can easily see life outside the café window and be happy to reflect on it.”
at dusk
the autumn wind
behind closed windows
Kyoto Autumn Journal
