Furuhashi Teiji

born in 1960

choreograph, media artist, dancer, musician, performer, visual artist, videographer, painter

Not long before Teiji Furuhashi succumbed to AIDS, his video "Lovers" was selected by New York's MoMA for an exhibit that included works by the famed Gary Hill and Bill Viola. This artistic feat, while impressive, would hardly be earth-shattering -- if it wasn't for the fact that "Lovers" was Teiji's first and last solo piece. Teiji created almost no solo work because of his dedication to Dumb Type, the Kyoto-based arts collective that he had co-founded. Seriously iconoclastic, the group lived outside the social strata and traditional mores of Japanese culture -- from this self-imposed exile, it scrutinized Japanese customs, pop culture, and the fetishes of the information age. One of the group's credos was that the members should only create art collectively. The day came, however, when Teiji needed to create something all his own. But he still wanted to leave behind a definite statement of Dumb Type's philosophy. He also wanted to explore feelings and ideas related to AIDS. The result was "Lovers." For Teiji, the subject of love and sex presented a vast field of contradiction. Love was a source of pleasure, fulfillment, and unity, but also a springboard into pain and death. The video portrays a pair of naked lovers, translucent and spectral, seemingly gliding through one another. They have no communication (if two lovers can't communicate, how can a world?), yet they stop ever so often to embrace. They are unaware of each other save for these sporadic moments of intimacy. Their connection seems only physical, never mental or emotional. It's a vision that's creepy and beautiful at the same time. Working in Performance art, dance, Video art, and painting, Teiji was a symbol of artistic rebellion and freedom of expression in Japan. His leadership role at Dumb Type carried over into the political realm -- he became an activist for both AIDS awareness and the homosexual community. He was only 35 when he passed away.


source:http://www.artandculture.com/users/529-teiji-furuhashi