Jacob Hashimoto’s intricate wall- and ceiling-mounted constructions, a dozen of which are on view at Talley Dunn Gallery, cultivate an attractively paradoxical aesthetic. Though massive in scale — the wall pieces are several feet in height and breadth, and eight inches deep, and the ceiling piece is room-sized — they are delicate and featherweight, being made of bamboo, paper, wood and Dacron.
And although modular and repetitive in format — each is made from dozens or even hundreds of small, square or circular kites — the individual modules are painted in an almost infinite variety of colors and patterns. So, while an overall view comes into focus quickly, it takes a great deal of time to follow the various smaller sections and passages that make up each larger piece.
Several of the wall-mounted constructions, such as Beginnings and Endings and Leaning Out of Windows, also play with the contrast between large monochrome areas, and other sections that consist of elaborately detailed discs arranged in irregular patterns. Not After a Million Years, the show’s title piece created for the Talley Dunn space for the occasion, hangs from the ceiling almost to the floor, sculpting the negative space around it in a cloud- or surf-like manner.
Hashimoto has spoken about bridging the gap between fine-art gallery culture and the broader public. In this respect, gamers will appreciate that he has been inspired by Minecraft, a world-building game whose modular, repeated units are recognizably related to the artist’s own creations. The gallery installation, however, in which each of the kites literally hangs by a thread from the bamboo dowels that make up the work’s frame, and sways almost imperceptibly as air currents disturb its equilibrium, has to be seen in flesh and blood to be appreciated.
Details
“Jacob Hashimoto: Not After a Million Years” continues through Jan. 18 at Talley Dunn Gallery, 5020 Tracy St. Admission free. Open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 214-521-9898 or visit talleydunn.com.
