II. MELODY

2003

In Melody, Miyamori used her rubbings from Ryugasaki Forest and transferred them onto various natural and man-made objects, creating a melody that emerged from the forests of Japan. While the forest and its trees no longer existed, their existence had been preserved in another form by Miyamori.

The rubbed surface of a tree onto another object, whether mass-produced or natural, is yet another thematic continuation of transfer, superimposition, and layering. To convey rebirth or newness, Miyamori often spends her time in forests searching for the surfaces of trees to employ the technique of frottage, or rubbings. Materials and nature, ever important to her, are generated in the field, as she digs small pits in which to burn the branches of trees to make charcoal. This is as close to a “manufactured” product as her work becomes. The focus on natural and raw materials give new life to “old” products.

By using trees as a symbol of the unity of objects and space, Keiko chose an object which lives in a nearly perfect giving and receiving relationship with its surroundings. Keiko’s art provides its observers oppurtunity to meditate on the ways we are unified with our environment by allowing us to see that we too exist in the space between and in other objects. If we can learn from such meditation, to think of ourselves existing beyond the physical self; time and distance become less important, while caring for our environment becomes an imperative, because to do so is to take care of ourselves.

During the show, Miyamori also invited a local poet and pianist to create a live interactive performance using the Washi covered typewriter and piano that were part of the exhibit.