Japanese artist Tokujin Yoshioka uses musical vibrations from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake as a catalyst in forming spectacular crystal paintings and sculptures. Each piece in Yoshioka's Crystallized project exhibits an elegant and eye-catching piece of work that simultaneously appears delicate and dangerous. The sharp edges of the crystallized material are menacingly beautiful, adding a unique aesthetic to the abstract structures.
The project states: “Drawing on the ‘accidental beauty' nature creates, these works are experiments with a deeply human emotional appeal.” Just as music strikes a chord within the human soul, stimulating and moving one's being, the crystals have been prompted to grow through six months of exposure to the pulsating tones of Swan Lake‘s orchestral soundtrack.
The experimental works present a variety of objects and installations that naturally transform their showcasing space into a crystal labyrinth. Yoshioka prominently features what looks like an enchanting bed of ice encased in a glass box, formed through this interesting process of growing (or as he says “drawing”) crystals, referring to the work as a crystallized painting, despite its sculptural appearance.
Yoshioka is currently showing a selection of his crystallized works in his first large-scale solo exhibition in a public museum at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo through January 19, 2014.
