Alan Nakagawa


xxxEar_Rings detail	xxxEar_Rings detail	xxxFel D 1
dedicated to Mark Wheaton


xxxTrans Formation 1.1	xxxTrans Formation 1.2

Trans Formation 1.1 and 1.2 I finished my two paintings for the second exhibit at Shojin. Kio chose the theme "transformation" so I interpreted to "trans-gender formation", combining eight contemporary known trans-gender personalities. The line drawing portraits float translucently on a spiral of x and y chromosomes and various cosmetic tools used to transform oneself i.e. lipsticks, eye lash curlers and tweezers. I like the ambiguity of male and female, attraction and non-attraction, and the re-definition of who is a woman and who is a man. Each person painted here is measured by their individual accomplishments, not because they are transgender. I am a male. Am I attracted to any of them? If so, what do I find attractive? Once I found out that "she" may still have a penis, does this turn my attraction to them off? If so, why? Am I still "heterosexual"? Could I have a relationship with a woman who once was physically born a man? This sort of play or push and pull is a wonderful psyche-play, a kind of mono-tango. It's this fascination that I was hoping to celebrate in these two works.


xxxTako Tenki xxx(Octo-Forecast) No.1

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Alan Nakagawa

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Alan Nakagawa, artist, sound composer and arts advocate, has been creating eclectic inter-disciplinary works about Los Angeles since the early 1980’s. Both as a solo artist and co-founder of LA art collective Collage Ensemble Inc., his art centers around orchestrating diverse aesthetics to afford forum and dialogue about the urban fabric, collaborative processes and multi-media experimentation. He also collaborates with Kio Griffith in the newly formed multi-media arts duo, Otonomiyaki. Nakagawa’s interests have often resulted in poetic visuals and sound works about the unique and ‘mystical’ elements of urban phenomena and its diverse ethnic populous, influences and hybrid tendencies.

Often using language and ethnic pop symbolism, Nakagawa has consistently created work about personal utopia, urban myth, and social dynamics crafted in his inherent collage style of eclectic sound, soulful imagery and observational text.

“I enjoy the self and group trust that grows in working with other artists where we collectively evolve an idea into an artwork or event that no one participating artist could have singly created. That magic and element of surprise is inherent in all of the art projects I’ve worked on. I love improvisation because inherent in it is trust, growth and empowerment. I think artists have a role in society where we present the additional perspective to what the press or media represent, the collective perspective, and give the voice otherwise not heard a chance; show the magic otherwise not seen.”

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