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"Kogetsudai (navy)", 2015 Coiled Rope Sculptural Fiber Vessel by Doug Johnston

About the Item

"Kogetsudai (navy)", 2015 coiled nylon cord, sewing thread "Kogetsudai (navy)" is one of four works made in the approximate shape of the Kogetsudai gravel mound in the garden of Ginkaku-ji in Kyoto, Japan. Upon my first visit to this garden, I was fascinated with the Kogetsudai, and the more I learned about it the more my interest was piqued. The feature is one of two special gravel mounds there, which are made from fine grey gravel or sand and re-shaped nearly every day by the gardeners. The name translates to something like "moon-viewing platform" but the reason for the name, the shape, and its significance has been lost to history. Some speculate that the name derives from how the top of the cone appears as a silvery moon-like reflection against a sea of gravel at night when viewed from the upper floor of the adjacent Silver Pavilion - and that the shape may be a reference to Mount Fuji. The Kogetsudai at Ginkaku-ji is a "frustum" shape about 2 meters tall and records show it being in its current shape and approximate dimension since the late 1700's. The shape is very powerful but it is made only of moistened sand. I made this series as a way to study the shape and understand its geometry and presence. I wanted to be able to sit with that shape in a room. I made the shape as a vessel to reinforce the idea of the shape itself, rather than as a solid mass. Furthermore, the dedication to the continual rebuilding of the form and object over and over through time, without a need for any "function" other than beauty and cultural continuity, was similar to how I have come to think of the act of vessel-making by humans. We likely inherited vessel-making skills from our pre-sapiens human ancestors, and have continued this activity over hundreds of thousands of years, and in a proliferation of materials from fibers, wood, clay, metal, glass, plastic, and more. Especially since the beginning of the Holocene, a certain amount of vessel making has had no function or purpose other than for cultural continuity and the cultural, formal, craft, and visual aesthetics within the multitude of human cultures. In this series of works, the continuous length of rope coiled into a conical helix also serves as an expression of this continuity through time, perhaps working towards a yet-unknown endpoint or goal, while creating a space that is simultaneously empty and loaded. This work was first exhibited in 2015 at Patrick Parrish Gallery as part of my solo exhibition "what it is". It was later shown at the Haystack Mountain School of Craft in Deer Isle, Maine, as well as several other group exhibitions. It has also appeared in several design and art publications in print and online. Since 2010 Doug Johnston has produced a wide range of functional and sculptural objects using a process of coiling and stitching rope using industrial sewing machines. He has built a formal vocabulary and studio practice that engages his varied interests in architecture, spatial and landscape formation, commerce, and fundamental human technologies. The work often sits at the intersection of art, design, and craft, taking the position that no made object is exclusively aesthetic or utilitarian. He often collaborates with his partner, Tomoe Matsuoka. They live and work in Brooklyn, NY and Osaka, Japan.

Creator:

Doug Johnston (Artist)

Dimensions:

Height: 11.5 in (29.21 cm)Diameter: 19.5 in (49.53 cm)

Style:

Modern (In the Style Of)

Materials and Techniques:

Nylon

Place of Origin:

North America

Period:

2010-

Date of Manufacture:

2015

Production Type:

New & Custom(One of a Kind)

Estimated Production Time:

Available Now

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. This piece was on display in a design gallery/showroom from 2015-2020, as well as exhibited in a few exhibitions during that period, but it is not previously owned. There are some very minor signs of wear, but otherwise it is in great condition.

Seller Location:

Brooklyn, NY

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU5694224295662