To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Yanaka gallery Scai the Bathhouse is hosting a solo exhibition, ‘Kisoushi' ('Poetic Conceit'), featuring American conceptual artist James Lee Byars (1932-1997). Active during the 20th century, Byars pursued ideal forms and perfection in his work. Often with reference to classic aesthetics, Byars visualised metaphysical concepts of ‘being’ through sculptural installations, performances and letters.
‘Kisoushi’ consists of a variety of works, including those created during Byars’ stay in Japan. ‘The Poetic Conceit’ (1983), for example, shows an altar that’s covered in black cloth, with a replica of the painting ‘Goethe in the Roman Campagna’ (1787) at its centre. The white plate on the pedestal right under the painting resembles an offering. This unusual composition reminds one of a theatrical set, in which Goethe’s zeitgeist intersects with Byars’ minimal aesthetics, creating a meditative work that illustrates the artist’s philosophical ideas.