Jun Not Juno

I mistakenly referred to this artist as Juno Kaneko when in fact his name is Jun Kaneko. A small, but significant. One is the title of an award winning indie movie about teen pregnancy and the other is the name of a modern Japanese sculptor. ​

I've been trying for the longest time to get someone to go see Jun Kaneko's sculpture exhibit with me. I tried to get my favorite Scorpio to do it. She deflected and we got coffee. And, how else was I to find out that a Grahm Toasted Latte isn't worth five dollars. 

My dear mother finally agreed to go with me. Which works. She drove. She paid my entrance fee. We got to bond. She low key told me she hates. A traditional bonding time for the two of us. She mentions how much she hates the art. ​

Now, I read all the information I could on the exhibits. And, the big thing I got from it is that Jun Kaneko is not into naming his pieces. I could visually describe all of them, but there all “untitled.”

His works are supposed to fit into nature and change and evolve with them. He has the largest non-industrial kiln in the world, which I personally think is very exciting. Most of his work is painted in vibrant, whimsical colors. 

He has also corned the market on polka dots. One of the signs told me that it was his “signature”. I love polka dots as much as the next gay, but it might be going a little far to allow one artist to lay claim to it. Something I noticed from the works on display was that he liked the dots to drip if that makes sense.​

There were three shapes that we saw. We saw “dangos”, which are these circular objects. They rise from the ground like obelisks. Depending on what he did with the texture and pattern they could be magnificent or monochromatic. 

My personal favorite pieces were the “tanuki” it literally translates to “raccoon dog”. They were set up in this forest setting and they were just so playful. That they really stood out against his dangos. His other work they had on display were these monolithic heads that were rooted in ancient civilization as much as they were in contemporary coloring. ​It was like visiting a vibrant colorful Easter Island. 

I love to see getting to see all of his work in person. There was this depth to it that I don't think these pictures quite get at. And, from the further reading I've been doing, he's one of the most prominent contemporary ceramic artists. And, as I read in Vogue. Ceramics are making a comeback. 

A lot of his work reminded me of psychedelic works of the sixties. I don't know how accurate a comparison that is, but I was drawn to his work. It was great getting to see it. 

One thing I wish this museum had on display was his “chunks”. I really love them. Their just so cool and different from what we saw. They add a different dimension to what we saw. Jun Kaneko also does work with painting and I think the museum should have done an exhibit on that. It would have been more encompassing of his work. 

The main house was closed for renovations. You can't get everything with your art history.