paitings of propagation
Minoru Onoda
Recently I have gotten a new image through my experimental works .So I would like to give thetheoretical background of the image by enlarging it.
In the end of 1965 “Art Informel”was introduced into Japan througn the exhibition named“Today ’s Art of the world”. Since then Japanese art-world has been occupied by the tendency toward the movement of“Art informel”or“Action Painting”.This tendency whichhas been easily tied to the temper of japanese has made our painting take on the aspect of so-calle“japanese”Fauvism. In this sence“Art Informel”,which originated in the Occident, lost the original meaning of the denial or the rebel, continued only as an officially acknowledged, safe method.“Action Painting”, which introdused the action as a different nature as the way of innovating image, lost the primary meaning in the flood of paintings that only showed the emission of physiological energy. No sooner the works of Antoni Tapies had been introduced info Japan than paintings whose surfaces lookd like the wall increased. It seems as thougn artists took the thickness of surface for the depth of mind.The old-fashioned dark expression putting on airs of higher vagabond, the heavy matiere, emotional lukewarmness, gloomy atmosphere; were they all brought about by the characteristic based on Japanese climate?
My late works were cynical criticism and sneer to those tendencies. Then one image that innumerable same things mechanically propagate, chermed my idea.
What intereated me most was mass production in the automated factory; its countless sameness.
If you see the vacuum tubes, which have been produced every day in great quantity, as just only innumerable accumulation of material, without recognizing their purpost of being used for receiving sets, you must feel astonished by the enormous amount of meaninglessness.
Once surrealism used depaysement as a method of causing surprise. On the other hand, I have tried to get a new image through giving order to the innumerable same things.
In order to realize this image I have selected the way of using innumerable circles and lines.
Since than I have called the“Watashino-maru(my circle)”. Those sizes will change according to the lines under the perspective order. You are able to see the picture from all directions you like. “Watashino-maru”will extend out of the picture not only to the wall and ceiling but to the road or the car. My circle, wherever I paint it, will become my work. So I gave the name “Paintings of Propagation”to them, however, as a matter of fact, they did not have such organic impression as propagation, but had empty, hard-boiled, and mechanical image. With the greedy mind of eating machines, it is necessary to stand the “senselessness”so as to thrust“Non”to the World new we are living in.
Looking up at the sky vacantly, I dream this sky and the world will be filled completely with “Watashino-maru”.
from (“Himeji-bijyutu”vol.1, December 1961)

WORK1961-11