a moment in time -ume-
Designer Shizuka Tatsuno was invited to hold an exhibition amid the global pandemic, when everyone was reevaluating what "normal" and "the new normal" meant. Similarly, as a designer and person in this strange time, Tatsuno pondered her next move. The theme of this book, "Plum Tree Ame (a hard candy)," was produced for the exhibition during these unprecedented times.
Inspired by a 60-year-old plum tree in the garden of Nadoya (the venue), Tatsuno recently took an interest in plant-based dying using the plum tree's natural color. "Plum Tree Ame" is made by boiling down and encapsulating the essence, just like a product made of glass and other transparent materials that Tatsuno has often dealt with in client work. The result is an object with a unique appearance.
However, the "candy" material does not have the same stability as glass or resin. In its environment, it melts, crystallizes, changes shape, and eventually returns to the earth.
"Even after the art piece disappears, I hope it remains in people's hearts and memories." This book records this work's theme from conception to production.
Book Description
Title: A moment in time -ume-
Author: Shizuka Tatsuno
First printing: December 16th, 2022
Price: 7,920 (tax incl.)
ISBN: 978-4-9912872-0-6 C0072
Size: w230 × h300
Specifications: Back binding (hardcover)
Number of pages: 112 pg (2 cover versions)
Publisher: Shizuka Tatsuno
Publishing House: Shizuka Tatsuno Studio Co., Ltd.
Text: Kumiko Ikada (TOTO Gallery Ma), Akira Minagawa (minä perhonen), Takahiro Tsuchida, Shizuka Tatsuno
Translator: Sakura Nomiyama
Assistant translator: Kayoko Hirata Paku
Photos: Gottingham
Creative direction: Shizuka Tatsuno, Takuma Hayashi (Hayashi Takuma Design Office), Shizuka Tatsuno
Graphic design: Takuma Hayashi (Hayashi Takuma Design Office)
Editing: Shizuka Tatsuno Studio Co., Ltd.
Proofreading: Miki Abeta, Yohei Sanjo (ORDINARY BOOKS Co., Ltd), Yuko Ishizaki
Artwork production: Shizuka Tatsuno
Artwork production assistant: Shingo Komatsuzaki
Dyeing supervisor and production cooperation: Yuko Ishizaki (uraku)
Cooperation: Nadoya, uraku, T THREE FARM, Kusaki Koubou
Printing and binding: Iword Co., Ltd.
“Creating harmony with nature
In 2021, I created a work of ame (a hard candy) colored with plant-based dyeing from an encounter with a plum tree destined to be cut down in a few months.
Just as plants change colors over time, candy also changes, undergoing a process of melting and crystallizing.
The "uncontrollable change" of this candy work is common in our lives. It is not stagnant and unchanging, and allows us to feel "a moment in time." ”