BECOMING PADME IN ISHIILAND

> Exhibit June 6-24, July 7-25, 2009
> Preview Saturday, June 6, 2009, 2pm to 8pm   


Becoming Padme is the result of numerous conversations between art critic and curator Stephen Sarrazin and artist and filmmaker Katsuhito Ishii.  Sarrazin, who lives between Tokyo and Paris, regularly collaborates with contemporary artists and filmmakers alike. In Becoming Padme, Sarrazin presents a series of photographs and videos alongside the work of Katsuhito Ishii. 
 
Katsuhito Ishii is an artist working through manga, anime, video and photography whose work offers a portrait of contemporary Japan. Ishii is the creator of an animé sequence based on Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill,” and a full-length film titled “THE TASTE OF TEA,” among others.  His work is marked by the influence of filmmaker Hiroshi Shimizu in its contemplative nature. Ishii’s films-- celebrated for their pacing, editing and soundtrack-- reveal a desire to grasp at something that still speaks of Japan in as unmediated a way as possible.  His photographs seek out a similar purpose; images of the open sea, lush greenery, and a sunset vista from an unidentifiable hotel room all serve to continue what his recent films triggered.  Both Ishii’s photos and films allow traditional Japanese culture to meet and creatively evolve with pop and sub-cultures of Japan. Ishii’s work will be debuted in Europe as part of Becoming Padme.

For this group show, the Vanessa Quang Gallery presents the work of Pascal Lièvre, Flavia Bigi and Kennedy James in conjunction with the themes of East and West framed by Becoming Padme. The exhibit thus offers a crossing of cultures, from the underground subcultures of Japan to the American West.