False Dichotomy
By Erin Kawazu
Art and science are often thought to be on two separate trajectories, on parallel planes never to meet. It always seemed that there are two sides of the brain, the right and the left — the creative and the logical — which can never be reconciled.
As a science major, I spent my undergraduate life grappling with this dichotomy. It seemed that I was forced to decide on which path to tread, a journey in which turning back was not an option. The ideal science student — it seemed, from common convention — had to put aside for the moment those subjective impulses in favor of a more objective view of reality.
However, through 美, I learned that this seemingly diametrically opposed dichotomy was not mutually exclusive. I learned that I could keep in contact with both sides of my identity — the scientist and the artist — without having to sacrifice one for the other.
At 美, I was able to not only listen to distinguished artists of various forms who are making an impact on the Tokyo art scene, but also to myself contribute my artistic sensibilities to a group of burgeoning artists and art enthusiasts.
Back in 2015, I created the first poster for 美’s third chapter: The Physical Self. After brainstorming different visuals for performing arts, I decided to base the central image around corporeal mime, which I discovered was an art form that creates drama through body movement.
Each chapter’s theme challenged me to experiment with different artistic styles. For Chapter 6: Creative Writing, I decided to create a very rough contour drawing connecting the birds to a pen and a bottle of ink. However, the next chapter, Chapter 7: Art and Technology, required a completely different mood and style from the organic, expressive visual I created earlier, so I proceeded with a more geometric design. I used different colored shapes to create a motif of a camera, which is the tool used by one of the speakers.
Of all poster designs, Chapter 4: Beyond the Visual was particularly difficult because I needed to create a visual that represents elements that go ‘beyond’ the visual. Here, the pattern at the background is of eyes, but the repetition creates a more fishnet-like impression, a veil for what lies beyond. Of course, I admit that some of my posters were stronger than others (in terms of both visuals and the message), but every poster nevertheless provided me with an opportunity to create something new. In many ways, these posters were much like experiments — trials that tested the boundaries of my imagination and skill.
Art is not a science, and likewise, science cannot necessarily be called an art. However, to me, this delineation is perhaps one of method, but not of kind. In the end, my drive to investigate within the context of a science laboratory was predicated on searching for truths — truths that, in a similar vein, I sought in my art posters. That forked road forged between the scientist and the artist is in fact a road that points in the same direction, a road that meets again — or has always been one and the same all along.
Erin Kawazu is a founding member of 美. She is graduating from UTokyo this September, but she will always remain as our most inspirational member.
