Ayumi Gunji: "HERALBONY's next challenge is the democratization of art" (Part 2)
January 26, 2024
INTERVIEW
"HERALBONY & PEOPLE" is a series where we talk to people who support HERALBONY. In this series, we interview people from all walks of life who are in tune with HERALBONY's activities and business. We ask these people, who stand out in various fields such as art, business, design, welfare, and culture, "What does HERALBONY mean to you?"
The commemorative first episode was titled "HERALBONY from an Editor's Perspective" and featured Gunji Sayumi, an editor and also known as a fashion creative director.
Gunji says that in recent years he has " started buying art like choosing clothes. " In this third episode, we spoke to him about the "democratization of art" that he has seen through one original painting he actually purchased.
Part 1 : "HERALBONY has made everyone involved happy" - An interview with editor Ayumi Gunji
Part 2 : No need for discerning taste. Editor Ayumi Gunji's "Recommendations for buying art that will last a lifetime"
Part 2 : Ayumi Gunji: "HERALBONY's next challenge is the democratization of art" → Current article
Gunji : There are many. Yukihito Okabe , Michiko Kamiyama, Kei Sugawara , Kaoru Iga , and many other wonderful artists.
--There are many artists who use vivid colors.
Gunji : I guess my parents gave me the character "irodori" (color) in my name, so I'm interested in "color." That's what I do for a living, and if I have a mission in life, I think it's to "communicate color to the world." So maybe the pictures I choose are naturally rich in color.
The reason I think this way is actually based on a fundamental experience.
It was during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. At the time, I was preparing to launch a magazine called "VOGUE GIRL," and the launch date was March 12, the day after the earthquake. I was depressed, thinking, "Magazine sales are going to be devastating..." and participated in volunteer activities with my friends.
Then, suddenly, I got a call from the company. "The magazine is sold out everywhere and we need to reprint it." The media was full of reports of the earthquake disaster, and wherever I went there were only dark stories, so many people were looking for "color" in the magazine. I realized that people's hearts need "color."
There's a sequel to this story.
Three months after the disaster, I visited the affected area. The towns devastated by the fires and tsunami were covered in a tar-colored blanket, losing all color. Losing color - that was really painful. At the time, I think I was in Kamaishi, and I saw a single yellow flower blooming straight up into the sky from the pitch black ground. At the moment I found it, I realized that color could heal the heart so much. That scene left a strong impression on me.
--So that's the story behind why you surround yourself with colorful works of art.
These people must have been given a special talent by God to paint. Works that are born from an irresistible urge to paint emit many times more energy than works that are artificially created.
The art created by people with disabilities is a pure urge to "draw pictures." Animation director Hayao Miyazaki described them as having "an open mind" in one of his documentaries, but isn't this a kind of "divine revelation"? Each and every one of us should actually be receiving "divine revelation" from God, but it is being closed off by the "mind lid" of reason.
The amazing thing about the art of people with intellectual disabilities is that they express their "divine inspiration" very honestly. That's why it's so relatable to people. It's really amazing that we can actually see and hold in our hands the GIFT (talent) given by God in the form of a painting. It's not a disability, it's an irreplaceable virtue and ability.
--Because the work is drawn freely, the viewer is free to look at it without being bound by the idea that it "must be seen in a certain way." I think that's also the appeal of unconventional art.
Gunji : I think so. I've actually been a fan of Picasso and Chagall since I was in junior high school, but there was something I always wondered about when looking at their works.
What is the criteria for distinguishing between art and non-art?
I don't know where the line is drawn, but I can say for sure that there are GIFTED people who have been given special talents by God. Whether they have a disability or not has nothing to do with it. I don't think it's a matter of that level, but rather that they are "geniuses" whose "brains" are open and their talents are freely and freely expressed. My favorite artist, Henry Darger, is also that kind of genius.
I have always had this longing for supernatural abilities inside me.
--Heralbony defines their talents as "unique" and is challenging to change the image of disabilities.
As I mentioned in the second installment , a painting can only be owned by one person, but by making it into various miscellaneous goods, anyone can own it, creating a system that can expand one to thousands or tens of thousands. This is what is so amazing about HERALBONY. I think it has once again taught both creators and viewers that there are no boundaries in art.
--We too hope that unconventional art will become a catalyst that will eliminate all boundaries.
When you go to an art museum, there is a clear difference between paintings that have crowds of people and those that don't. The reason why famous paintings attract people without fading over the years is a question that goes beyond whether they are famous or unknown; a great painting has a gravitational force that draws people in. And the total amount of that gravitational force increases the value of a painting that is considered a masterpiece.
In that sense, I feel that the trend toward democratization of the authoritarian art world is already underway, and the emergence of HERALBONY seems to be in sync with that trend.
I don't think there are many people who buy Heralbony's paintings because they are "painted by people with disabilities." They are bought by people who simply love the paintings and can appreciate their beauty.
That is the kind of peaceful world that HERALBONY is trying to realize. If this system spreads overseas in the future, we believe it will bring about changes in various values.
The commemorative first episode was titled "HERALBONY from an Editor's Perspective" and featured Gunji Sayumi, an editor and also known as a fashion creative director.
Gunji says that in recent years he has " started buying art like choosing clothes. " In this third episode, we spoke to him about the "democratization of art" that he has seen through one original painting he actually purchased.
Part 1 : "HERALBONY has made everyone involved happy" - An interview with editor Ayumi Gunji
Part 2 : No need for discerning taste. Editor Ayumi Gunji's "Recommendations for buying art that will last a lifetime"
Part 2 : Ayumi Gunji: "HERALBONY's next challenge is the democratization of art" → Current article
Why am I attracted to works filled with color?
--In the previous article, " Rather than buying a coat, I wanted to buy a piece of art, " we talked about how you purchased Taisuke Kinugasa 's original painting "African Dress" at the pop-up shop. Please let us know if there are any other artists from HERALBONY that you like besides Kinugasa.Gunji : There are many. Yukihito Okabe , Michiko Kamiyama, Kei Sugawara , Kaoru Iga , and many other wonderful artists.
--There are many artists who use vivid colors.
Gunji : I guess my parents gave me the character "irodori" (color) in my name, so I'm interested in "color." That's what I do for a living, and if I have a mission in life, I think it's to "communicate color to the world." So maybe the pictures I choose are naturally rich in color.
The reason I think this way is actually based on a fundamental experience.
It was during the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. At the time, I was preparing to launch a magazine called "VOGUE GIRL," and the launch date was March 12, the day after the earthquake. I was depressed, thinking, "Magazine sales are going to be devastating..." and participated in volunteer activities with my friends.
Then, suddenly, I got a call from the company. "The magazine is sold out everywhere and we need to reprint it." The media was full of reports of the earthquake disaster, and wherever I went there were only dark stories, so many people were looking for "color" in the magazine. I realized that people's hearts need "color."
There's a sequel to this story.
Three months after the disaster, I visited the affected area. The towns devastated by the fires and tsunami were covered in a tar-colored blanket, losing all color. Losing color - that was really painful. At the time, I think I was in Kamaishi, and I saw a single yellow flower blooming straight up into the sky from the pitch black ground. At the moment I found it, I realized that color could heal the heart so much. That scene left a strong impression on me.
--So that's the story behind why you surround yourself with colorful works of art.
The "gift from God" is conveyed directly.
Gunji : In addition to the colorful expressions of Kinugasa and Okabe, I am also really attracted to the unrestricted, free expression of Isai Art.These people must have been given a special talent by God to paint. Works that are born from an irresistible urge to paint emit many times more energy than works that are artificially created.
The art created by people with disabilities is a pure urge to "draw pictures." Animation director Hayao Miyazaki described them as having "an open mind" in one of his documentaries, but isn't this a kind of "divine revelation"? Each and every one of us should actually be receiving "divine revelation" from God, but it is being closed off by the "mind lid" of reason.
The amazing thing about the art of people with intellectual disabilities is that they express their "divine inspiration" very honestly. That's why it's so relatable to people. It's really amazing that we can actually see and hold in our hands the GIFT (talent) given by God in the form of a painting. It's not a disability, it's an irreplaceable virtue and ability.
--Because the work is drawn freely, the viewer is free to look at it without being bound by the idea that it "must be seen in a certain way." I think that's also the appeal of unconventional art.
Gunji : I think so. I've actually been a fan of Picasso and Chagall since I was in junior high school, but there was something I always wondered about when looking at their works.
What is the criteria for distinguishing between art and non-art?
I don't know where the line is drawn, but I can say for sure that there are GIFTED people who have been given special talents by God. Whether they have a disability or not has nothing to do with it. I don't think it's a matter of that level, but rather that they are "geniuses" whose "brains" are open and their talents are freely and freely expressed. My favorite artist, Henry Darger, is also that kind of genius.
I have always had this longing for supernatural abilities inside me.
--Heralbony defines their talents as "unique" and is challenging to change the image of disabilities.
Heralbony is trying to "democratize art"
Gunji : We've talked about a lot of things over the course of three sessions, but I think what Heralbony is trying to do is to "democratize art." We've taken art, which was previously a closed sphere, and made it something that anyone can participate in democratically. Both in terms of identity as an artist and ownership of art.As I mentioned in the second installment , a painting can only be owned by one person, but by making it into various miscellaneous goods, anyone can own it, creating a system that can expand one to thousands or tens of thousands. This is what is so amazing about HERALBONY. I think it has once again taught both creators and viewers that there are no boundaries in art.
--We too hope that unconventional art will become a catalyst that will eliminate all boundaries.
When you go to an art museum, there is a clear difference between paintings that have crowds of people and those that don't. The reason why famous paintings attract people without fading over the years is a question that goes beyond whether they are famous or unknown; a great painting has a gravitational force that draws people in. And the total amount of that gravitational force increases the value of a painting that is considered a masterpiece.
In that sense, I feel that the trend toward democratization of the authoritarian art world is already underway, and the emergence of HERALBONY seems to be in sync with that trend.
I don't think there are many people who buy Heralbony's paintings because they are "painted by people with disabilities." They are bought by people who simply love the paintings and can appreciate their beauty.
That is the kind of peaceful world that HERALBONY is trying to realize. If this system spreads overseas in the future, we believe it will bring about changes in various values.
