(Japan 1941– )
63.0 x 63.0cm image; 70.0 x 70.0cm sheet
Takayanagi is currently working alphabetically through his Fulcrum series, planning to complete through to Z. With this series he wants to express the important concept of 'ma', literally space or interval, which has been a consistent feature of Japanese aesthetics. 'Ma' is the poignantly silent pause in music or the arrested moment in Kabuki when the actor can most movingly express the spirit of his role. 'Ma' is the empty space in an ink landscape or piece of calligraphy; architecturally it is the linking corridor or verandah in a traditional Japanese building. 'Ma' is a significant, positive element in all these spheres - it provides the repose, the fluidity, the continuity - and the concept is crucial to the understanding of Japanese culture.
Takayanagi was born in Tokyo, completed Graduate School at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, and now resides in Kanagawa.
Jackie Menzies, Contemporary Japanese Prints: The Urban Bonsai, 1992, pg. 92-93.
Jackie Menzies (Australia) (Author), Contemporary Japanese Prints : The Urban Bonsai, Sydney, 1992, 92, 93, 101 (colour illus.). cat.no. 61
The Urban Bonsai, Queensland Art Gallery, 04 Mar 1992–04 May 1992.
The Urban Bonsai, National Art Gallery, Wellington, 20 Jun 1992–09 Aug 1992.
The Urban Bonsai, Christchurch Art Gallery, 12 Sep 1992–29 Oct 1992.
The Urban Bonsai, Manawatu Art Gallery, 13 Nov 1992–10 Jan 1993.
The Urban Bonsai, The George Adams Gallery, Victorian Arts Centre, 18 Mar 1993–25 Apr 1993.
The Urban Bonsai, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 08 May 1993–01 Aug 1993.
The Urban Bonsai, Lewers Bequest and Penrith Regional Art Gallery, 11 Mar 1994–24 Apr 1994.
The Urban Bonsai, The Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, 19 May 1994–19 Jun 1994.
The Urban Bonsai, Campbelltown Arts Centre, 15 Jul 1994–21 Aug 1994.
The Urban Bonsai, Moree Plains Gallery, 11 Nov 1994–24 Dec 1994.
The Urban Bonsai, Tweed River Regional Art Gallery, 01 Feb 1995–05 Mar 1995.