NOBORU TAKAYAMA
b. 1944, JapanNoboru Takayama’s work is most recognisable for its consistent use of railroad ties. Differing from other artists involved in the Mono-ha movement of which he was a part, Takayama embraced the associative qualities imbued within a material. The recurrent use of railroad ties in his work has come to symbolise the socio-political unsettlement during the ant-Vietnam war years. Yuusatsu (1973) is one such example, evoking reference to the forced labour and harsh conditions in Japan’s colonies during World War II. The more recent MAKURA-GI Railroad Ties (2015) shows his continued exploration with this subject and material.
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