On Kawara

On Kawara is a New York based Japanese conceptual artist.

Today Series : The Today series (Date paintings) are paintings consisting entirely on the date on which they were painted, this is executed in simple white lettering against a solid background. The date is always painted in white and Kawara hand draws each character ,expertly rendering the script. To begin this was a elongated version of Gill Sans but now takes shape as the modernist Futura. The date is always centered and painted white however the background colours vary, for example the earlier painting were always bold but more recently have been darker in nature. Red was used for a period of time in 1967 but then returned to darker hues in 1977. Each canvas is given five coats, one of Kawara’s many self inflicted rules.
Each date is written grammatically correct to the country in which it was painted. For example if in the US the date will begin with the name of the month followed by the date and they year. All canvases conform to one of eight standard sizes and lie horizontal. If the painting is not completed on the same day that it was started he will immediately destroy that said painting.
When a Date Painting is not being displayed it is to be found in a cardboard box custom made for that painting. This box is lined with a local newspaper from the same date and city where it was made. Some days he will make more than one and each year between 63 and 241 paintings are made.Each Date Painting is marked on a One Hundred Years Calendar and registered in a journal. A small rectangular swatch of the colour paint used is then added to the journal along with the paintings size and newspaper headline. This project is planned to end only with Kawara’s death.

I personally love the Today Series because of the pure repetition and the somewhat personal sacrifice. I think to do something so simple needs this form of commitment to make it a truly remarkable series. However certain things seem to annoy me, the fact that the canvases come in eight different sizes and the fact that he can miss a day or do two within the same day. To me this just seems, how should I say, ‘wishy washy’, in substance and character and perhaps contradicting in connection to the commitment aspect. My personal preference would be that one had to be done everyday, with less variation in sizes, creating a more controlled piece. But then I guess these breaks in the chain give an insight into the fact that he is after all a human being, which intern gives a certain charm to what is a strict monotonous act. Recently Kawara has stopped lining the boxes in a newspaper from that day. Perhaps this was too much fuss? Does the series really need it, after all the series seems so simple, yet with all of the extra added elements such as the journal and boxes, it starts to become somewhat complicated and hassled. Or possibly the newspaper simply says too much, it gives an insight into that day, telling of significant events, maybe Kawara just wanted it to be seen as a passing day, individual yet not significant. I guess that’s another thing which grates on me when looking into On Kawara’s work, just what is it that he want us to take from this series?

I found On Kawara’s work relevant to mine inspiring the boxed tweet piece. I personally liked the effort that went into the Today Series when it came to create individual boxes for the paintings. I feel that by boxing an item you give it a value, showing that its worthy of being protected.

Boxed Tweet Piece :

12pm -
Alan Shearer is an atmosphere vacuum.
11pm -
NNNN NINETEEN
10pm -
Is that Wilko Johnson I just saw in Game Of Thrones?
9pm -
My last point - Pr's shouldn't send a whole product range to one blogger!
8pm -
Think definitely how they think you have alot of readers needs to change! GFC isn't gd enough
7pm -
Ah it's that time of year where girls experiment with hair extensions and make up in time for prom season. So British!
6pm -
If anything, those
5pm -
if i say sweeeeaaarrrr down on radio again.... sigh.... haha
4pm -

3pm -
"do you have any guernsey in you? No? Do you want some???" hahaha
2pm -
ahhh Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory is coming on... not seen it in at least 6 yrs! :)
1pm -
2 hours to go and 9 people are already having a bidding war, I refuse to pay over £20 :(
12pm -
“
　TheDiaryOfJay Jay Freeman Tasha26 Natasha @LurpakButter adverts have only help increase my consumption of perfect cheesy omelettes, not butter. haha.REGYATES REGYATES Gemmarghhh Gemma Young @kateaufait I know its so sad :( they already had me bidding about 20, bastards :( I need to go shopping to cheer myself up now hahaeldave_ed Dave Makeup_Savvy Fee Gemmarghhh Gemma Young TheRealAmiJames Ami James @SmithCoDesigns: @TheRealAmiJames do you or your guys make personal appearances at events?” Yes but it depends...　Makeup_Savvy Fee #bbloggersMakeup_Savvy Fee #bbloggersjupitusphillip Phillip Jupitus #itbloodywasTheDiaryOfJay Jay Freeman NathanThomas8 Nathan Thomas #nineteen