"The Latest Work by Jackson Pollock"
2011
acrylic on canvas(385×86cm),monitor,dvd(13:45)
In Tohoku district, the northeastern Japan, there are female shamans called “ITAKO” since ancient times. ITAKO evoke a dead person's spirit and by allowing themselves to be possessed, they have an ability to tell the words of the dead. Usually, people who lost their family visit ITAKO to hear their voice seeking comfort. This work has been produced after the Great East Japan Earthquake. I have asked ITAKO to evoke Jackson Pollock’s spirit and to be possessed. And I had an interview with her and had her paint a picture as Pollock. The interview elicited his opinions and thoughts on what happened to the world after his death, and some private matters.
This work contains criticism of the value of art. Painted by ITAKO, Can it really be “the Latest Work of Jackson Pollock”? What defines the value of works? What is authenticity? It puts questions to beholders. And also, it has referred to the intercultural difference in the view of life and death, and the social issues such as a nuclear accident.