A0 (841x1189) - The Harajuku mosaic
Many small pieces form an A0. From a good distance the full message of
the work emerges: the life of Harajuku lends itself to another reading the kanji "Harajuku".

My own ways of appreciation of Harajuku push me towards experiments
in a variety of media. CiteXture is only series of works which, in different
techniques, present my reflection about the city. CiteXture was based onan understanding that the cities are textual compositions (Barthes 1965),
that they can be understood as composed of multiplicity of individual"words" and "phrases", structured by the syntax of an unique language.
My language. And/or (in this instance) – Harajuku language.
And, un bon croquis vaut mieux qu'un long discours ("a good sketch is
better than a long speech", as Napoleon used to say or, proverbially, “apicture is worth a thousand words”).
The artwork presented in my exhibition at Design Festa Gallery
accompanied one phase of my research of Urahara. It paralleledtraditional aspects of my investigation and, on occasions, it also fed intothat other side of my work. Art satisfies my need for subjective reflection
and communication in an universal language of pictures and sketches. It
helps me express, both myself and Harajuku, in a fuller sense. And, as
Harajuku is very much about image and image making, these drawingsand collages seek to express that place as in a series of images.
My exhibition was presented through an ubiquitous architectural andurban design theme - that of “scale”. The scales in which I explores
Harajuku were translated into standard paper formats - ISO216, better
known as the “A series” (1: √2 ratio). Each work covered an area of1m2, which corresponds to the A0. Paper sizes, which ranged from A0to A8, were used to present the scales which best capture various
aspects of life in Harajuku:59

A2 ( 420x594) - The Urahara collage
The City is a collage (Rowe and Koetter 1984). In this work, the focus is on
Urahara, the heart of Harajuku. An A2 is used to collage different elementsof that vibrant area, all layered onto the map. The overall picture commentson the character of Urahara, as a quality in itself and as a part of Harajuku

A4 (210x297) - The Human scale
A4 is considered to be the most suitable for everyday life. It is used
universally - for note-taking, writing, printing, photocopying. Here A4presents the people of Harajuku. Unlike spaces, the people and theiracvtivities are beyond scales. These drawings capture the stories lived andtold in Harajuku. All together, they weave a complex text(ure) of Harajuku.

60A6 (105x148) - The Pocket scale
A6 is a postcard size. It is sued for papers which we want to put in ourpockets. This part of my work is comprised of a series of sketches, proposedsouvenirs from Urahara. The visitors are invited to buy them, as thesouvenirs, as the mementos of this place, as an invitation to remember theevent.

A8 (52x74) - The ‘post-it’ notes
They offer a blank surface, and another invitation to you - this time that is aninvitation to participate. Please take part in citeXture by answering my brief
questions and providing your feedback. Your insights will lead me towards
better understanding of Harajuku.

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