Tetsunori Kawana: Bamboo magic in Denver

Sculptor Tetsunori Kawana has just completed an installation at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Ed Montovani was there to act as a special artist assistant (and Free Agent Dilettante correspondent) during the installation. The sculpture is made entirely of bamboo for an exhibit entitled "Kizuna: West Meets East."

Pictured above is Ed Montovani. You can almost hear him saying, "Yeah, I made this. Yeah, it kicks ass."

From what Montovani tells me about Kawana's method, the bamboo is split length-wise, allowing it to bend into the incredible shapes he creates... with help from his assistants, of course.

This is the work of an artist who has clearly mastered his medium. He seems to effortlessly transform stiff bamboo into flowing forms evoking cascading water or whirlwinds. He transforms his medium into something else - certainly something larger than the sum of it's parts, and if art isn't about transformation then I don't know what it's about. Bamboo normally grows straight out of the ground, bristle-like, perpendicular. Here Kawana manipulates and distorts bamboo so that it caresses and dances on the land. I think this artwork talks about natural processes like flow and growth using (appropriately) natural materials. His ephemeral work makes me think he could be a kindred spirits with Andy Goldsworthy. 

This sculpture just went on display and will be up until November 4th. If you're in Denver, go check it out. 

You can see some info and a video about Tetsunori Kawana's work at the Mint Museum in North Carolina here. 

Kawana's website "Kawana World" is here.

Now enjoy some photos below that Ed Montovani, Free Agent Dilettante correspondent, Denver resident, new car owner, and all-around cool guy, took during the installation process. (all photos on this post are courtesy of Ed Montovani)