Candy Cranks

"Locus of Momentum"

Kentaro Fujioka is a NYC-based conceptual artist and biker (and friend!) who has developed an innovative style of using his bike in his work. Fujioka’s recent series of drawings, “Locus of Momentum” are at once abstract and harmonious, using simple lines as a record of and suggestion of movement. I’m a fan, and I thought that readers might enjoy them, too.

Kentaro

Here are some videos of Kentaro at work:

Set-up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXc1lMaNweo&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Finishing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi-LturPPUA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Candy Cranks recently caught up with Fujioka for a quick Q&A.

CC: How did you get the idea for Locus of Momentum?

It was when I was watching someone try really hard to make an abstract painting. He was struggling with what he was doing. I hate to say it, but it wasn’t looking any good. Don’t take me wrong, I have struggled a lot before with abstract works, too. Then, the idea suddenly came out of nowhere — I thought, how about making something pretty with my bike? Like making something not by pushing hard, but by letting it do itself. After all, it is the same thing as conventional abstract painting, because I make visual art by acting on the surface of canvas or paper. I ride my bike almost everyday, even in winter. So I believe that it was successful in terms of connecting Art and Life, which is my goal as an artist.

CC: What materials do you use to make the drawings?

I pour graphite powder on the ground, lay out pieces of paper or canvas, then ride my bike on top of it.

CC: Where do you do the drawings?

I work at an art school in NYC. I do the drawings on the floor of the clay sculpture studio. It gets very messy and graphite makes the floor very slippery, so it needs to be hosed down after that.

CC: Do you have a favorite tire or method?

I made my best drawings with my old bike. But I lost the bike. It was a road racing bike that had tires with a groove in the middle. I currently ride a fixed gear road racing bike with very thin tires. Tires for this kind of bike tend to be very smooth, so I don’t like it for drawing but I like it as a bike.

CC: You are a pretty hardcore bike commuter. What is your typical bike ride like?

I live right by the QueensBoro Bridge in Queens. I start my day crossing it to Manhattan. I basically go everywhere on my bike. I just made a makeshift trailer for my bike recently, so I will do my current water sculpture project carrying equipment on that.

CC: What are some recent changes you have seen in “bicycle life” in NYC? Has it gotten easier, crazier, etc.?

Pedestrians cross the bike lane all the time. I do it too when I walk. I like riding along the traffic. I don’t like getting distracted by the unpredictable behavior of people.

CC: Where can people look for more about your work?

Website: http://www.facebook.com/l/15a18DZdXPvEcBJiFFZ1DdLM5qg/kentarofujioka.com
Youtube: kentarofujioka channel
Facebook: Kentaro Fujioka

Twitter: kentarofujioka

CC: And you can catch Kentaro out on the NYC streets these days, where he is working on his latest project, a series of water sculptures.