How Bori Forges His Creations

2024年4月22日 10:28

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➡ More story about Bori and his creations

Industrial: Harnessing the Extraordinary

Two points briefly outline how Bori forges his iron sculptures. Firstly, he utilizes highly costly-to-operate industrial heavy machinery for non-industrial or commercial purposes. This alone is extraordinary in our economy-driven world. Consequently, what emerges is always infused solely with the essence of iron—one of the fundamental elements of the universe—formed autonomously. Understand? No cars, no weapons—just the raw power of sheer nature. That is the philosophy behind Bori's creations (as far as I know of).

Praying: Spiritual Craftsmanship

The other point, almost already mentioned above, is that Bori only guides the spirits of iron to form freely, allowing any resulting outcome to become the 'creation.' His role is to devise a plan for the iron spirits to emerge naturally and observe the process closely not to miss the crucial moment of manifestation, all the while praying sincerely.

Bori, as captured in a 1990 magazine, exploring 'Abstractionism' before his three-decade-long moratorium period. Today, he has returned to creation, embracing the 'Figurative style'.

Extremely Dangerous

Here's an example: He undertook this significant project at the age of thirty-five in 1992, just before ceasing creation, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into its realization. Apologies for the aged photos, but they capture the dynamic and primordial atmosphere, akin to a volcanic eruption.

① Iron ingots baked over night in a oven. 1500 x 1500 x 600 mm, 10 tons each.

➁ Stuck vertically on the forging machine as per Bori's instructions. A licensed technician on standby.

③ The forging process commences, utilizing a formidable 12,000 tons of forging power, which was the world's largest at the time.

④ It's extremely dangerous; they could burst like a bomb at any moment.

⑤ The result showcases the sheer power of nature.

⑥ Professional technicians securely weld them together, adding rings for handling, which are later removed.

⑦ Showcasing the power of sheer nature, the sculpture stands tall and heavy as one of Bori's monumental public artworks, emblematic of his 'Abstract Period' or 'Faceless Period'.

Embracing Difficulty

Let me share one more point with you. You must have noticed how tough and expensive it is to create 'solid iron' sculptures. Despite these challenges, Bori doesn't back down. He insists on embracing them rather than avoiding them. It's a testament to his unwavering spirit for fine art, and I find that incredibly admirable. Don't you?

Face Period (2021-)

Bori is currently in his 'Face Period'. Here is a glimpse for the 'Faces' being forged with industrial machinery.

During the interview…

He shared with me his latest experimental pieces (which I loved, by the way—perhaps not just me). It reminded me of fossils. He might be going back in time, beyond the Jomon Period where he held his theme, to a prehistoric era. Click the links below to explore more of his recent works featuring 'faces.'