Akiho | Kaneko: World Premiere Commission
Attempting to musically catalog the breadth of artist Jun Kaneko’s work might have been Sisyphean in scope. As composer Andy Akiho began writing, however, certain pieces and processes sifted out, ultimately making Sculptures a showcase of ideas that are uniquely Kaneko’s own. First, as art historian Glen R. Brown writes, “his interest to repeat the same idea in a different material to see how it looked.” Second, specific material choices that create inherent relationships between the piece and the viewer. Third, space itself, in all its meanings, or ma: where questions of inches – whether in relation to another sculpture, the viewer, the density of the work, a pattern, or a form – create ripples of consequence. Sculptures is a collection of nine compositions, alternating between full-orchestra, percussion, digital, and in one case, the symphony brass section. Some of the compositions reference particular art works by Kaneko; others, whole swaths of the artist’s output. In addition to constant support from Ree and Jun Kaneko and access to Kaneko’s work in Omaha and Portland, Oregon, Glen R. Brown’s Jun Kaneko: The Space Between was integral to the composer’s process and these notes.
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Behind the Scenes of Akiho | Kaneko
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Akiho x Sculptures (Full Piece)
Composed by GRAMMY®-nominee Andy Akiho, this groundbreaking orchestral work was commissioned by the Omaha Symphony in honor of Ree and Jun Kaneko and serves as a stunning musical tribute to Jun's artistry. This one-of-a-kind recording is not only inspired by Kaneko's prolific sculptures, but also...
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I. Translucent
Akiho x Sculptures
Sculptures begins with Translucent, referring to Kaneko’s transformation of previous ceramics and clay pieces to new iterations in glass. Akiho was inspired by Kaneko’s 1996 Between Light & Shadow and 1981’s Parallel Sound, both re-born in 2001 at the Bullseye Glass studio in ...
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II. Bronze I
Akiho x Sculptures
Bronze I and Bronze II – set as the second and penultimate tracks – are performed on one of Kaneko’s 2015 Untitled cast bronze and stainless steel Heads. Kaneko created his Heads in pairs deliberately, with the experience of viewing them together equally as important as taking...
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III. Petroglyph
Akiho x Sculptures
Petroglyph, for brass, refers to a trio of Kaneko’s earliest works – all Untitled, from 1963, done in oil paint and sand on canvas. The 3D texture created alludes to future uses of glazes and constructed shapes upon shapes, despite the works’ home on canvas.
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IV. Cylinders
Akiho x Sculptures
Cylinders is an immediate intersection of the composer’s background meeting the artist’s work. Akiho, a steel-pannist and percussionist, found Kaneko’s Cylinders to each carry a different pitch, and composed for soloist accordingly.
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V. Kintsugi
Akiho x Sculptures
Kintsugi, written for full orchestra, is the art of repair through the use of gold lacquer. Rather than hiding brokenness or mistakes, kintsugi brings those elements to the eye immediately, becoming a prominent feature. We see kintsugi most often in Kaneko’s Chunks, Constructi...
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VI. MA
Akiho x Sculptures
Ma is a Shinto concept that Kaneko integrates into all of his work. Shot in one of Kaneko’s warehouses, Ma features Akiho and strives to showcase the philosophy in both its tangible and intangible nature: the constant awareness of space between creation and viewer, how the pie...
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VII. Density
Akiho x Sculptures
Before Kaneko began creating his larger-than-life Dangos in Omaha in the 1980s, he constructed his Slabs. Density, composed for orchestra, references these solid, glazed ceramics that weigh thousands of pounds and feature imposing patterns that stretch away from the viewer, an...
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VIII. Bronze II
Akiho x Sculptures
Whereas Bronze I features the Head being played with bows, Bronze II is percussive, a variety of striking elements causing the Head to resonate in explosive ways.
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IX. in that Space, at that Time
Akiho x Sculptures
Kaneko’s largest works are his Dangos, referenced in Akiho’s orchestral finale, in that space, at that time. Brown writes, “Each [Dango] is an island in space but also an element of an archipelago: unique and self-sufficient but reflecting implicit kinship with others that hav...
