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Kaori Yamashita
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Kaori Yamashita was born in 1979 in Kyoto, Japan. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking at the Kyoto City University of Arts in 2003. Her early work explored the theme of self-searching in relation to other people through self-portraiture. Kaori is also interested in the relationship between humans and the natural world and has developed this theme through her screen-printing practice. She has researched biological arts related to bioinformatics while undertaking of Master of Information Science at Nagoya University in Japan from 2003 to 2006 and is currently completing a Masters of Science, specialising in Biological Arts at SymbioticA, in the School of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The exhibition is a critique of the Western anthropocentric worldview. The project reveals human-centred views by focusing on “by-catch” and discard issues associated with the case, Weeping Toado (Torquigener pleurogramma). Through focusing on this fish, this project aims to shift people’s attention towards broader ecological issues, such as by-catch in commercial fishing. By exploring people’s prejudice towards the fish, particularly when based on its utility and aesthetic value, the project questions the individual life of the fish and its associated intrinsic value. To go beyond prejudice and toward intrinsic value, the most fundamental point is the notion of biocentric equality. Finally, self-realisation and the “unfolding self” as expressed by traditional Japanese philosophy are referred to as an essential process for change in human attitudes towards nature. The work aims to encourage a deeper ecological consciousness that will lead to continuity between humans and the Weeping Toado. The two displayed Weeping Toado have been kept as a fisherman’s by-catch for three months at School of Animal Biology in UWA. This exhibition will be completed by releasing the fish to the natural environment at the end of the show. The project has been approved by Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) at The University of Western Australia. Some of the images in the exhibition are pigments of the tears on the fish’s skin viewed under a microscope. Frosted Perspex is a key material in some works, which is used as a veil that overlaps our anthropocentric views towards the fish. This project has been due to the generous support from many people throughout the period of the activity. My heartfelt appreciation goes to Rick Roberts, technical manager in the School of Animal Biology, for all his guidance on keeping two Weeping Toado and setting up the marine aquarium. I am grateful to the members of SymbioticA; Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr, Jane Coakley, Amanda Alderson and resident artists for the encouragement, hospitality and information provided. I have received generous support from Stuart Bunt from ANHB, Mary Lee and Leonie Khoo for histology-based technical assistance and helpful comments with my samples. Also, Guy Ben-Ary has been greatly supportive regarding microscopic techniques in CELL Central. I would also like to thank Ray Scott in the Combined Workshop for making an aquarium stand for this project despite his tight schedule. My special thanks to P. James Bryan for providing access to his screen-printing studio and printing on weekends. Finally, I am very grateful to Central TAFE for permission to use the Artist-in-Residence gallery space. Kaori Yamashita |
