Stream 87 P 1987

Matsutani produced "Stream 87 P" with vinyl adhesive, graphite, and cloth, materials that intertwine themes of traditional craftsmanship with the anxieties of post-war identity. Born in 1937, Matsutani came of age in a Japan grappling with the aftermath of World War II, as well as the influence of Western culture. The stark contrast between the graphite field above and the stark white plane below is bisected with a visceral, almost umbilical cord of adhesive. This cord descends into a gathering, a kind of sack that spills out onto the lower surface. The use of vinyl adhesive, a then-new material, speaks to Japan’s rapid industrialization, even as the work overall resonates with the traditions of Japanese calligraphy and ink painting. This piece captures the tension between the drive toward modernization and the desire to hold onto cultural memory. The result is a profound meditation on the artist's negotiation of these shifting cultural and personal landscapes.