Nobuhiro Nakanishi, a Japanese artist, has created a captivating series of sculptural installations titled “Layer Drawings” that explore the concept of time and space. In this series, Nakanishi photographs natural environments, such as forests and sunsets, over an extended period of time. He then mounts the selected images from his documentation onto panels of acrylic in chronological order, allowing for slight variations between each frame.
The result is a three-dimensional installation that appears to capture a singular moment in time, while also conveying the passing of time. Nakanishi’s intention is to depict time and space as sensations shared by both the viewer and the artist, as the viewer attempts to fill in the gaps between the individual images and draw from their own experiences to understand the ephemeral and vague nature of time.
Nakanishi’s work challenges the viewer’s perception of reality, as the layered acrylic panels create an illusion of depth and dimensionality. The artist’s use of this technique allows him to explore the relationship between the physical and the conceptual, as the viewer is invited to contemplate the nature of time and their own experiences of it. Overall, Nobuhiro Nakanishi’s “Layer Drawings” series is a thought-provoking and visually stunning exploration of the human experience of time and space, inviting the viewer to engage with the work on a deeper, more contemplative level.
We are all subject to the passing of time, yet each of us feels and perceives it in our own way. Time itself has no shape or boundary and cannot be fixed or grasped. When we look at the photographs in these sculptures, we attempt to fill in the gaps between the individual images. We draw from our physical experiences to fill in missing time and space, both ephemeral and vague. In this series, I attempt to depict time and space as sensations shared by both viewer and artist.
Nobuhiro Nakanishi
More info: Website, Artsy (h/t: Colossal).
