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[Title of work] ㉞ Rice legend

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KAZUYOSHI HIRAI
Born in Saitama prefecture
​ 1958-
[About the work]
When I made it with Yonago this time, I was thinking of making it with children and rice, but I don't know much about the rice I eat every day. Rice is a versatile food that can be eaten if cooked, powdered into powder, processed food such as rice crackers, and fermented into sake, but I saw it at the beginning of the process of growing it. There was no. When I got rice and various kinds of rice from a farmer I knew and a rice shop to check the difference in shape, and when I dipped it in water and observed it, I was impressed by the vitality as if I woke up from sleep.

Now that rice cultivation from the Yayoi period and human activities before that have continued forever. It was a legend in the United States that it would be a good opportunity to stop and think about what it was like in the past as the birthrate declined and the birthrate declined, and what it would be good to continue in the future.

 

[Production] 2002 Yonago Sculpture Symposium​
[Session] July 13th -August 25th , 2002

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[Participating in the Yonago Sculpture Symposium]

I first participated in the sculpture symposium 21 years ago. I had a very good experience by making big stones that students couldn't buy in a short period of time and interacting with the participants. Therefore, I was very happy to have Yonago call me this time.

At the preview in November last year, the installation location was in the neighboring Minatoyama Park, so I decided to make something with a certain height. Everyone wanted to put it in a large place, and after sharing it twice with the Amida lottery, it became the third choice place, and the next day, they took me to a stone dealer to search for rough stones. I met and ordered only one white granite whose shape was visible in the stone.

Then, around June, the city's Culture Division sent me a production plan, and the rough stone arrived at the production site, but I was informed that it wouldn't move anymore because it was an odd size. I started drawing. I entered Yonago with anxiety about whether I could do it in 40 days with an esquis that could be made while lying down.

After the opening ceremony, it was a difficult start because it could be rolled with a resident 3-ton forklift or it got stuck due to a key failure during the trial, and it could not be removed from the rough stone. It wasn't a welcome party, but I felt the welcome and expectations of the people in the city, and after drinking alcohol, I decided to start working positively, saying, "Something will happen! Let's do it from where we can."

I asked Mr. Nakata, who is in charge of the city, to lease a 10-ton hydraulic jack with claws, and I was able to move the rough stone, so I knew that it could be close to the shape I originally imagined, and I carved it from the relief on the top. In addition, I changed from Esquis to lighter and concentrated on the work from morning till dark.

Also, when I checked the installation location with the people involved in the city, I was planning to put it at Mr. Hishida's place, even though it was decided last year, and I realized that I was the only one, and my head became blank. I hurriedly searched for another place and asked if it could be changed to an open place that was not included in this year, and I was happy to decide on a suitable place like no other.

When the rough carving is finished to the weight that can be moved with a forklift, the work can be done while standing upright, so the writer, the superintendent of education and the staff who were present can help and build stones, and the tent is also high. did. In addition, I borrowed a board that would be a bullet and a scaffolding board from Mr. Nakata's house, assembled it with the help of the staff, made the roof of the vertical, and produced it while being blown by a pleasant breeze at the height where the Nakaumi can be seen. Was done.

At the time of the grindstone work, I asked the college students and the secretariat to help me, and at the request of the citizens, I put the stones destined to be abandoned, which were made by roughing, near the work. I feel like I've done more work than I had planned, but this is also the volunteers, the secretariat, the executive committee, the people who visited the venue, and the three people who worked together. I think it was created by everyone with cooperation and encouragement. Also, I am glad that I was invited to many events and entertainment and soaked in the hot springs. I'm really thankful to you.

 
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