Just a Thin Paper (2021) is a series of vibrant photographic works created by MUGA, with an initiative of exploring the complexity of various human properties like creativity, subjectivity and any earthly desires that one might possess. Being a professional snowboarder once, MUGA was often being photographed as a subject, which led him to believe that photography is principally performance-driven and on many occasions, manipulated.
People tend to look for various meanings in photographs, such as sorrow, anger, and joy, however this only goes further to demonstrate the inevitable disparity between the viewers’ subjectivity and the intention of the artist. MUGA compares such phenomenon with the shadow in Plato’s Cave, stating that the shadow the prisoners see, albeit being their reality, is only a fragment of the real world.
Despite upholding a critical view towards photography, MUGA realised that he’s often trapped in a preconception of photography emulates the truth, on the other hand it’s often being considered that fictions are the genesis of creativity. Living in a society full of overflowing information, where photography dares to be the symbol of truth, it’s in MUGA’s opinion that only in recognising fictions, one may realise “the void of the mind”.
Through the manipulation of the frail paper, MUGA intends to enhance subjectivity by visualising the gap between the real and fictitious, inviting the viewers into an ocean of images. In this series of work, MUGA questions the ultimate necessity for truth.
「Just a Thin Paper」は本来、人が持っている創造性、主観性、煩悩を大いに楽しむポジティブな表現として、MUGAによって創り出された写真作品です。
プロスノーボーダー、つまり被写体側の経験を持つMUGAにとって、写真とは操作され演出されるもの。
人々は写真に悲しみ、怒り、喜びなど様々な意味を見出しますが、それは作者の意図に鑑賞者の主観を重ね合わせた虚構であり、古代ギリシャの哲学者プラトンが提唱した「洞窟の比喩」の影のようであるとMUGAは言います。
しかし写真に対し批判的な感情を持っていたMUGAは制作の中で、自身が写真=真実という固定観念に囚われている事に気づきます。 そして人の創り出す虚構こそが創造の源。 同時に、この情報社会の中で敢えて真実のシンボルでもある写真に、虚構を認識する「心の余白」こそ現代の悟り、すなわち無我であるという考えに至ります。
MUGA によって操作された薄っぺらな紙の写真は実像と虚構の狭間を可視化することで主観を刺激し、鑑賞者をイメージの洪水へと誘います。そして MUGAは作品を通し、真実の必要性に対し疑問を投げかけます。
No,1
No,2
No,3
No,4
No,5
No,6
No,1 ~ 6 / 2021 / Photography / UV-ink & PVC-sticker on plexiglass , [made of 2 layers of 2 images] / 30 × 30 × 4 cm
The Colors of My Maze / 2021 / MOGANA Bar
No,7 / 2021 / Photography / C-print mounted on plexiglass , PVC-sticker /[made of 2 layers of 2 images] / 100 × 100 × 0.5 cm
The Colors of My Maze / 2021 / MOGANA Kyoto
No,8 / 2022 / Photography / C-print mounted on plexiglass , PVC-sticker / [made of 2 layers of 2 images] / 100 × 100 × 0.5 cm
No,9 / 2022 / Photography / UV-ink & PVC-sticker on plexiglass , [made of 2 layers of 2 images] / 60 × 60 × 2 cm
