FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM "The Mechanic's of Motion" exhibit at Mark's Garage included an event during which participants bought and smashed glass and pottery globes for prizes. Jason Minami crafted the piece titled "Versare."

Artists lure viewers with an appetite
for destruction to Mark’s Garage

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By Shawn "Speedy" Lopes
slopes@starbulletin.com

Listen carefully," begins Daniel Rosen, microphone in hand. Buried beneath a cluster of leis, the potter implores the audience gathered at the ARTS at Marks Garage to take part in a most unlikely collaborative art experience. "You're about to destroy some things that we made."

'The Mechanics of Motion' Where: The ARTS at Marks Garage, 1159 Nuuanu Ave. When: On view 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays through March 29 Admission: Free Call: 521-2903

The "we" in this case implies fellow artisans Corinne Kamiya and Jason Minami, whose wares, like Rosen's, are the starring attraction of "The Mechanics of Motion," showing through March 29 at the downtown art gallery.

While the trio spent the better part of a year creating a variety of glass, metal and ceramic pieces for this exhibit, they'd also conceded the destruction of their works long ago. "We'd just like not to destroy anything in the main gallery," Rosen emphasizes to the crowd, which responds to the quip with a collective chuckle.

Last Friday night saw the exhibit's premiere, which encouraged attendees to rap upon water-filled glass tubes, metal rods and colored gourds to produce an audience-generated soundtrack to accompany the show.

An hour later, the second portion of the event invited viewers to smash palm-size glass and ceramic pieces with a metal cylinder to the throbbing beat of a live deejay, while its third and final act involved the application of the leftover shards to an adhesive board by anyone interested in contributing to an on-the-spot mosaic.

"I really believe in an event that people can interact with that brings them closer to the art and perhaps encourages them to think about things in a different way," Rosen explained later. "Basically, we're trying to go beyond the 'Here's some wine and cheese and look at our art' thing.

"We wanted people to play with stuff and break stuff and get involved in it, so it becomes more than an art show," added Kamiya, whose airy, delicate showpieces induced a fair share of oohs and aahs. The fourth-year University of Hawaii art scholar's metal sculptures are economical pieces that utilize thin molded beams, no thicker than a toothpick, and slender humanlike figures suspended by tenuous slivers of bronze and copper.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Christy Maeda looks down at the shattered glass of her globe.

By contrast, Rosen's ceramic pyramids and towers, and Minami's majestic glass-and-metal sculptures, show an affinity for stately, monumental structures.

"I feel lucky to be working with people who are so talented and so incredibly committed," Rosen said of his group, who met on a weekly basis for nearly a year, poring over and critiquing details of the exhibit. "It's important, I think, to work with people whose art you respect, but more than anything, it's their work ethic that I respect. There's this tremendous momentum when we get together. We feed on each other, you know?"

All agreed that the countless hours spent in preparation for the show were well spent. "Art shows can be intimidating sometimes," said Minami, in between thanking waves of well-wishers and admirers for attending.

"I know I used to have a hard time coming to them just because I'm not necessarily comfortable with the usual crowds. Hopefully, a show like this helps make people more comfortable with the art scene."

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Vicki Lau admires artwork titled "Oculus" by Jason Minami.

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