Fumiko Amano presents her work in ArtSevilla

Sonic Landscape Series (2007) 029. 15”x 20”
 Watercolor and beeswax on paper

As you probably already know, ArtSevilla will celebrate its first edition from October 15th to 18th in the Andalusian capital, and Why On White collaborates with this great initiative as 'guest blogger'

As is always the norm in our blog, we are very interested in the Asian artists and gallerists that will be present at the fair, and in this occasion we are pleased to see Fumiko Amano, a Japanese artist who lives and works in Los Angeles and whose work we love.

We’ve spoken with her about how the music and the sounds of a city can mix with painting to create a work of art.

Julio: It is the first time I interview a Japanese artist based in the United States. Do you think your work is closer to the Japanese or Western tradition?

Fumiko: I feel that my work is a fusion of Japanese and Western traditions.  I like to mix concepts from Rauschenberg and various Fluxus artists with origami paper collage and thread to create something new.

Julio: Your work focuses on sonic landscapes, can you explain this concept?

Fumiko: I decided to create visual images inspired by urban noise after I saw Michiyoshi Inoue conduct a performance by a symphony orchestra by pointing at different parts of a large painting.  The colors and textures of the painting became intertwined with the music.  I was also inspired by John Cage’s use of notation in Water Music.  His musical score looked more like a drawing than a traditional score.

Julio: When did you start to unite music, sound and painting?

Fumiko: I began taking piano lessons when I was three years old and feel that classical music provided a sound structure that helped me decode the sonic landscape that was evolving around me.  I didn’t realize at the time that these industrial sounds were being incorporated into modern musical scores.  

I began to work on these concepts in paintings during the summer of 1992 in Tokyo.

Julio: I guess the sounds of a city like Tokyo are very different from Los Angeles, aren´t they?

Fumiko: Tokyo is different than any other place on the planet.  I  remember the tiny horn with only two tones on the tofu bikes, the waves of Japanese Muzak throughout the city and what seemed like a sonic boom from the bullet trains passing through nearby stations. 

Sevilla Series (2009) 001. 9”x 12”. 

Watercolor, crayon and ink on paper

Julio: Do you think the sounds of a city like Seville could inspire to create a piece?

Fumiko: Yes.  I created Sevilla Series while I was visiting Seville in 2009.

Julio: Tell me more about Sevilla Series, please

Fumiko: I took inspiration from the Alcázar, urban vibe of streets, maze-like alley ways, colors and textures from Feria dresses at stores, Aire de Sevilla, church bells…

Julio: to be honest, I am curious about how is the process of transform the sounds of a city in a painting...

Fumiko:  On a very basic level I turn the sounds that inspire me into colors.  Many classical composers have taken a similar route and have created charts that assign colors to notes.

Julio: What it is more inspiring when you create a work, a symphony of Bach or theme of the Chemical Brothers?

Fumiko: I think both are equally inspiring depending on the musical score or track.  I have collaborated with Djs as well as contemporary musicians for my Live Painting Series.  I do prefer Chemical Brothers, Sonic Youth and Underworld when I’m in the studio.

Julio: In your work mixes painting and collage, is the music a mixture of techniques too?

Fumiko: For some series, yes. 

Julio: In your works you include also manga drawings and traditional Japanese symbols, right?

Fumiko: For the Dream Series in 2010, I incorporated manga images from old comic books and traditional Japanese family symbols in order to re-create my dreams.  I really enjoy the collision of all of these elements.

Julio: Will this be your first exhibition in Spain?

Fumiko: No.  I had a solo exhibition at Murnau Art Gallery in Seville in 2008.

Julio: What are you going to show in ArtSevilla?

Fumiko: This time the gallery 1 de 7 in Seville is going to exhibit my recent watercolor paintings and some old watercolor paintings.  Some of them are Sonic Landscapes.

Sonic Landscape Series (2015) 003. 4 1/2” x 12” (11.5 cm x 30.5 cm). Watercolor, ink, crayon and graphite on paper