Studio Visit with Tadashi Moriyama

It’s rare that I have the pleasure of spending such valuable time with an artist whose work I really love.  Last weekend I was in Brooklyn for a group show at the Gowanus Ballroom put on by Oxheart.  On Saturday morning I set out to meet Tadashi at his studio, where I was excited to see some of the intricate paintings that serve as characters and backdrops in his other-worldly animations.  A cozy white-walled studio space had three of its walls dedicated to plans, paintings, drawings, and  non-utilitarian electronic devices while a fourth wall sat across from a projector.

Here is a still from his recent animation, Amnesiac, which he debuted at Johansson Projects in Oakland, California.

This is one of my favorite moments, where the camera slowly pans from a congested scene to a wide open blue sky by following the path of a silhouetted bunny rabbit.  This type of transition suggests that each scene of the animation is playing simultaneously and thus puts the weight of discovery on the camera and its audience.

More of Tadashi’s brilliant work can be found here:

http://tadashimoriyama.com/

Tadashi and his wife Rachael, I should mention, are very welcoming and humble artists.  Tadashi even prepared an epic lunch for us.   Thanks Eric for introducing us, and thanks Tadashi and Rachael for your time and care.

One more image: