shashasha

Araki's Kekkai is a beautifully designed manifestation of Araki's ongoing series surrounding his photographs of flora and of his bound, nude models. Placed within a small, palm-sized acrylic box, are 128 pieces of images. Formatted to reflect their original physical forms of polaroid snapshots, the printed cards lay delicately within the acrylic black shaped box complete with a sliding clear cut lid. The images within are a result of Araki's polaroid snapshots taken both with the film used during the polaroid era together with shots taken using the Impossible film. Cut,spliced together, and recreated into altogether new imagery, the resulting collaged works are highly emotive and delicate. The floral motifs placed alongside the female nudes collectively work as visual signifiers to those whom are more familiar with Araki's works and as direct references to his early published works; Sentimental Journey and Winter Journey. Blurring the boundaries between life and art, the resulting imagery are (true to his style) graphically candid. Coupled with the design of the published works, Kekkai, brings forth both the erotic and earthly sentiments which are bound to aspects of the carnal. The design of the object itself, placed togetherwith the paired up binaries of his photographic works, Kekkai, stimulates childhood memories, physically referencing the traditional Japanese game of Karuta. Already matched and paired up by Araki, the photographed cards act as a visual game,played out,simultaneouslyengaging each viewerwith Araki's visual presentation of his humor at play.