Past works ( 1970 – 2006 ) and
Recent Works ( 2000 – now : Naked New Yorkers, Landscape, New York Sparrows, New Yorkers, Planet and Rivers )
Past works ( 1970 – 2006 ) and
Recent Works ( 2000 – now : Naked New Yorkers, Landscape, New York Sparrows, New Yorkers, Planet and Rivers )
I have been living in New York since 1969. I have devoted all my life to Art, working 24/7 for the last half century.
I opened Rikuro Okamoto Museum in Japan in 2006.
The Museum exhibits my past works. (1970 ~ 2006) It is open to the public 6 days a week.
Museum Home Page : http://www.rikurookamotomuseum.com
Museum Reviews by visitors: http://rikurookamoto.blogspot.com
Works of this period, 1970 – 2006, are
“Moving Rock” YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gT1lAyTfI8&feature=youtu.be
“Moving Rock” Video, The David Bermant Foundation :
Moving Sculptures:
There are three types of moving sculptures.
“Moving Rock” : Rock (original one is in Central Park, New York City) moves very slowly.
“Moving Wall” : Wall ( 6 ft x 8 ft x 2 ft , Italian Marble ) moves very slowly.
“Moving Cube” : Cube (10 x 10 x 10 ft mirror finished stainless steel cube ) moves very slowly.
I took the molds of the rocks at Central Park, New York City with the permission of Central Park Administration Office. Large rock took me and 10 helpers, 10 days to take the mold at the Park. Then I cast the rock with the plastic resin mixed with sand , mica, minerals and pigments. The plastic resin is very dangerous for the health, so I used the best gas mask connected with air compressor to get fresh air. I used best materials for the AC motor and switches. Everything was done very carefully with precise accuracy. 14 and half feet long “Moving Rock” took me two years to complete. I installed permanently these Moving Rocks in several cities in USA. Some of them are still moving every day 10 am-5 pm.
These moving sculptures moves very slowly by the hidden AC motor. Movement is straight back and forth and very slow. I think myself Minimalist.
Paintings:
I made many oil on linen paintings which has many small paintings in one large painting. One of them has 242 small paintings in 6 ft x 12 ft painting and took me two years to complete.
I also made oil on linen paintings with many elements on the background landscape. Titles were “Floating matter -#” “ Elements large and small-#”
I work as a minimalist to achieve the most powerful and beautiful art works.
Collections: Museum of Modern Art , New York City and Wadsworth Atheneum, Conn and other Private collections
１９６９年からニューヨークに芸術家として制作に日々没頭して半世紀になります。
２００６年には、岡本陸郎美術館を阿蘇の麓の高原にオープンしました。
ホームページは: http://www.rikurookamotomuseum.com
美術館入館者による感想/Reviewは：http://rikurookamoto.blogspot.com
１９７０年から２００６年までの作品には「動く岩」「動く立方体」などの動く立体作品があります。これらはアメリカの各地に設置されて今も動いています。
「動く岩」のYouTubeは : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gT1lAyTfI8&feature=youtu.be
The David Bermant Foundation の“ Moving Rock” Videoは:
「動く岩」はニューヨークのセントラル・パークの岩を型取りし鋳込んで、モーターを内臓し動いています。制作には２年の年月をかけた大きな作品もあります。
絵画作品は無数の小さな作品によって構成されている作品、と風景の中にはめ込まれた小さな要素たちの作品が数多くあります。
立体作品、絵画作品共にミニマリストとして制作しています。
ミニマリストとは作品の構成要素をミニマルな極限にまで徹底して余計なものを排除して、それによって最もパワフルで美しく面白い作品に到達する芸術家としての姿勢を言います。
ニューヨーク近代美術館、ワズワース美術館、個人コレクターなどに作品は収蔵されています。
Copyright © 2018 Rikuro Okamoto, all rights reserved.
I have been living in New York City for 50 years since 1969. New York is the city of powerful diversity. I am one of the New Yorkers.
“Dancing New Yorkers”: New Yorkers are dancing gracefully & freely without any weakness, sadness or cruelty.
“Naked New Yorkers” are the beautiful & powerful physical bodies, which don’t have any trifle & foolish weakness. More than six hundred bodies are completed.
“ Dancing New Yorkers” はニューヨーカーたちが俗塵から解き放たれて軽々と踊っている無垢で強靭な人間の姿を描いています。
２０世紀絵画世界は、 絵画は終わった、という浅い未熟な俗物の言葉が蔓延し、ほとんどのアーティスト及び絵画界が羊の様に従順に洗脳され、稚拙な作品しか生み出していないのは実に不幸な世紀でした。そういう時代の流れに交わらず、絵画は終わっているどころではない、オリジナリティと力強さと面白さに溢れ、真に成熟した作品はまだまだいくらでも可能性は無限であると日々闘志を燃やし、制作を半世紀にわたって続けています。
“Naked New Yorkers” は瑣末な俗塵を全て振るい捨てた人間たちの強靭な肉体を描き続けて600人を超えています。
List of Works:
Dancing New Yorkers-0-1: Oil on linen, 36 in x 96 in /90 cm x 240 cm
Dancing New Yorkers-0-2: Oil on linen, 22 in x 72 in /55 cm x 180 cm
Dancing New Yorkers-1: Oil on linen, 22 in x 72 in /55 cm x 180 cm
Dancing New Yorkers-2: Oil on linen, 17 in x 72 in /42.5 cm x 180 cm
Dancing New Yorkers-3: Oil on linen, 22 in x 72 in /55 cm x 180 cm
Dressed New Yorkers-1 : Oil on Linen, 22 in. x 72 in. /55 cm. x 180 cm
Dressed New Yorkers-2 : Oil on Linen, 22 in. x 72 in. /55 cm. x 180 cm
Dressed New Yorkers-3 : Oil on Linen, 22 in. x 72 in. /55 cm. x 180 cm
Dressed New Yorkers-4 : Oil on Linen, 27 in. x 168 in. /67.5 cm. x 420cm
50 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 20 in. x 144 in. / 50 cm. x 360 cm
25 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 20 in. x 84 in. / 50 cm x 210 cm
35 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 20 in. x 96 in. / 50 cm x 240 cm
96 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 6 ½ in. x 108 in. / 16 cm x 270 cm
69 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 6 ½ in. x 108 in. / 16 cm x 270 cm
54 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 6 ½ in. x 52 in. / 16 cm x 130 cm
51 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 6 ½ in. x 52 in. / 16 cm x 130 cm
29 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 6 ½ in. x 30 in. / 16 cm x 75 cm
27 Naked New Yorkers, Oil on Linen, 6 ½ in. x 30 in. / 16 cm x 75 cm
Copyright © 2018 Rikuro Okamoto, all rights reserved.
For decades, I have travelled in many countries: USA, Africa, Amazon, Mongolia, Greece, Turkey, Costa Rica and others. All of these landscapes sit quietly under the huge sky.
If you see from some distance these paintings connected together, you will see one large landscape.
There are two type of “Landscape” paintings : 21 Large paintings (8 in. x 90 in. each) and 25 Small paintings (6 in. x 26 in. each)
These are oil on Linen paintings.
“Landscape” : Large paintings, Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 90 in. / 20 cm x 225 cm each
“Landscape” : Small paintings, Oil on Linen, 6 in. x 26 in. / 15 cm x 65 cm each
“ Landscape” Oil and sand on canvas and board 7 ft × 23 ft / 210 cm x 690 cm
Collection of Tokyo Institute of Technology /at Century Memorial Hall
「風景」は数十年にわたって世界各地を旅して来て、それぞれ各地の風景を大きな風景の一部として、大画面に描き込むという制作を続けました。
大きなサイズの作品では各２０センチx２２５センチ、小さなサイズでは各１５センチx６５センチの連作があります。
２１０センチx ６９０センチ の作品「風景」は２３枚の風景から構成されています。アメリカ、ギリシャ、トルコ、モンゴルなどの各地の風景が、少し離れて見ると大きな一つの「風景」として見えて来ます。
東京工業大学の大岡山駅、正門横の百年記念館に常設展示されています。
Copyright © 2018 Rikuro Okamoto, all rights reserved.
I have been living in Manhattan for the last 50 years. I meet New York Sparrows every day. They live wild and free, not in the cage. They have known me so many years and come to meet me every morning on the street and at the Madison Square Park.
Each individual sparrow is so different from each other in color, size, shape and shades. This diversity of the individual is the same diversity as human New Yorkers.
マンハッタンに住んで半世紀になります。近所の野生のスズメ達は手からパンを毎日クチバシに渡している親しい友人達です。近くでよく観察すればそれぞれのスズメの個性が見えてきます。その面白さを描き続けています。
List of works:
“14 New York Sparrows”, Oil on Linen, 4 in. x 30 in. / 10 cm x 75 cm
“26 New York Sparrows”, Oil on Linen, 12 in. x 90 in. / 30 cm x 225 cm
“32 New York Sparrows”, Oil on Linen, 12 in. x 90 in. / 30 cm x 225 cm
“20 New York Sparrows”, Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 48 in. / 20 cm x 120 cm
“23 New York Titmouse”, Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 60 in. / 20 cm x 150 cm
Copyright © 2018 Rikuro Okamoto, all rights reserved.
I have been living in New York City for a half century. I am one of the New Yorkers.
There are so many interesting and colorful New Yorkers. I have continued to paint these New Yorkers.
Each of these paintings is 6 in. x 11 in / 15 cm x 27.5 cm., oil on linen.
There are more than 40 finished paintings. The numbers of these paintings is glowing everyday.
There is a map of “New Yorkers”.
ニューヨークに半世紀、芸術家として制作を続けて来ました。ニューヨーカーには種々の生き物がいて、それぞれにユニークでカラフルな興味深い生活を続けています。これらの無限のニューヨーカーたちを今日も描き続けています。それぞれの場所を示す地図があります。
Copyright © 2018 Rikuro Okamoto, all rights reserved.
When I see the vast landscape from 3,0000 feet up in the air, I am amazed by the fact that all small and large elements are living on the ground. And I’d like to record all of them. This is the passion and obsession of my every day life.
世界を旅して１万メートルの上空からの、茫漠とした雲海と蛇行する河の流れの巨大な風景と、それを構成する無限の美しい小さなもの、を描き続けることは芸術家のドンキホーテ的な愛惜と無垢の責務と思っています。
“Planet - 1” Oil on Linen, 18 in. x 144 in. / 45 cm x 360 cm
“Planet - 2” Oil on Linen, 18 in. x 144 in. / 45 cm x 360 cm
“Continent” Oil on Linen, 18 in. x 144 in. / 45 cm x 360 cm
“River -1 “ Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 46 in. / 20 cm x 115 cm
“River -2 “ Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 46 in. / 20 cm x 115 cm
“River -3 “ Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 46 in. / 20 cm x 115 cm
“River -4 “ Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 46 in. / 20 cm x 115 cm
“River -5 “ Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 46 in. / 20 cm x 115 cm
“River -6 “ Oil on Linen, 3 in. x 23 in. / 7.5 cm x 57.5 cm
“River -7 “ Oil on Linen, 3 in. x 29 in. / 7.5 cm x 72.5 cm
“River -8 “ Oil on Linen, 4 in. x 23 in. / 10 cm x 57.5 cm
“River -9 “ Oil on Linen, 4 in. x 23 in. / 10 cm x 57.5 cm
“River -10 “ Oil on Linen, 4 in. x 23 in. / 10 cm x 57.5 cm
“River -11 “ Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 84 in. / 20 cm x 210 cm
“River -12 “ Oil on Linen, 8 in. x 84 in. / 20 cm x 210 cm
“River -13 “ Oil and sand on Linen and wood, 3.5 in. x 11.5 in. / 8.5 cm x 29 cm
“River -14 “ Oil and sand on Linen and wood, 3.5 in. x 11.5 in. / 8.5 cm x 29 cm
“River -15 “ Oil and sand on Linen and wood, 3.5 in. x 11.5 in. / 8.5 cm x 29 cm
Copyright © 2018 Rikuro Okamoto, all rights reserved.
