Sketches No. 10 2001

Curator: Tadashi Kawamata's "Sketches No. 10," held here at the Harvard Art Museums, presents a mixed-media composition incorporating both photograph and graphite on paper. Editor: My first impression is of something ghostly, ephemeral. The pale graphite lines seem to barely exist on the page, haunted by that single, stark photograph. Curator: The photograph anchors the sketch; it depicts a wooden structure, perhaps a walkway. The graphite lines, in turn, seem to be an attempt to map out spatial relationships, a symbolic quest to grasp physical space. Editor: It speaks to Kawamata’s larger practice. He uses impermanent materials, like raw lumber, in site-specific installations. These sketches may be preparations for just such a transient work. Curator: Indeed, the sketch becomes a symbolic representation of a possible construction, embodying memory, anticipation, and the potential for transformation. Editor: This piece really emphasizes the provisional and process-oriented nature of art making. It is not just the endpoint of a polished work, but the labor and the planning too. Curator: Precisely. It reminds us that even seemingly simple sketches can carry deep cultural and psychological weight. Editor: Ultimately, the work encourages us to think about how we physically interact with the world, and how we can preserve or transform spaces through the material of art.