Hikotaro’s homage to Ban Jan Ader, who went missing at sea in what may or may not have been his final performance. An experienced sailor, Jan Ader had set sail from Massachusetts July 9, 1975 aboard his boat Ocean Wave attempting a solo Atlantic crossing. 10 months later a Spanish trawler some hundred or so miles from the Irish coastline spotted Ocean Wave crippled and partially submerged. By all accounts Jan Ader never made his destination; Falmouth on the southern coast on England.
The found objects in “Please Don’t Leave Me” all come from British flea markets and carry that sense of romanticism Jan Ader was known for. His first monograph collecting works from his graduation in 1967 up until his death, lends the show his title.
If the idea of his disappearance and death (his body has never been recovered) are thought of in turns of the artistic document they’ve since created, the romantic seascapes, sailing boats made from shell, and printing blocks (plus mechanical reproduction) on display make a case for the artist being still very much with us. Truth is part speculation. In this case, that truth is a re-produceable as the story of his death which has fashioned a romantic outlook and conclusion of its own ever since.
The show lasts until the end of March (2019).
Please Don’t Leave Me at The Steak House DOSKOI
Hikotaro Kanehira
March 3 – 31, 2019