Noguchi (1904-1988) : Barbican

If you enjoy paper lampshades and spending time in fancy light shops, the Barbican art gallery is the place for you right now. As soon as you enter, you are presented with a beautifully spaced, warm glow of lights and stone objects. Noguchi's paper lanterns accentuate the space, creating a floating layer of light reducing the weight of the interior and the scattered landscape of objects resembles a narrative garden.

 

 

"But what is the point of soft without hard, or weight without lightness? In Japan the philosophy of the relative value of things is carried so far that in ceremonial tea-making there’s a little cloth they use, which they Handel as if it were the weightiest thing in the world. Light things are handled as if they’re heavy, heavy things are handled as if they’re weightless — in this way one finds ab almost complete control over nature instead if being dominated by it."

 

 

One of the quintessential sculptors of the twentieth century, Noguchi (1904-1988), is a must for design enthusiasts. Known for his Askari, washi paper and bamboo lights, Noguchi thought art should improve the way people live by embracing social, environmental, and spiritual consciousness. He believed he belonged to the past and future. 

 

 

"To be modern means nothing to me. Ultimately, i like to think, when you get to the furthest point of technology, when you get to outer space, what do you find to bring back? Rocks!"

 

 

This exhibition is available to list until 9th Jan 2022 at the Barbican Art Gallery. You can book tickets through their website.