Division of Labour
Project description
Division of Labour is a solo exhibition by Satoru Aoyama (b. 1973) at White Rainbow in Fitzrovia, London. The exhibition centres on Aoyama’s ongoing series Map of the World (Dedicated to unknown embroiderers), begun in 2012, which reflects on the relationship between artistic authorship, craft and labour.
The series references the Afghan craftswomen who assisted Alighiero Boetti in producing his Mappa series (1971–1989). Aoyama’s embroidered maps revisit Boetti’s iconic works from a contemporary perspective, incorporating changes to national borders and the emergence of new countries such as Ukraine and Serbia.
Using fluorescent thread, Aoyama embroiders four world maps and a map of Europe. In daylight, the works reveal little detail, while in a darkened space the countries and borders become visible. This theatrical transformation draws attention to the intangible nature of borders and the geopolitical systems that define them.
Unlike Boetti, who commissioned craftswomen to execute the embroidery required to realise his concepts, Aoyama undertakes the labour himself using an old Singer sewing machine. Trained originally in textiles, he uses this process to examine the relationship between fine art and craft, while questioning the role of the individual artist and craftsman within an age of outsourcing and mechanised production.
In works developed alongside the Map of the World series, Aoyama sews over selected found images of craftswomen, reconnecting Boetti’s work with the largely unseen labour involved in its production. By foregrounding the contribution of female craftspeople, he draws attention to the gendered dimensions of labour and to the individuals whose work has often remained absent from art historical accounts.
Through embroidery, appropriation and re-performance, Division of Labour considers authorship, cultural value and the relationship between artistic ideas and the labour required to realise them. Aoyama’s practice gives visibility to the anonymous craftspeople whose contributions have historically been obscured.
Bio
Satoru Aoyama (b. 1973) is a contemporary artist whose practice explores the relationship between fine art, craft and labour. Trained in textiles, Aoyama frequently uses embroidery and sewing to examine questions of authorship, mechanised production, outsourcing and the often invisible labour behind works of art.
His practice considers the role of the individual craftsman within contemporary systems of production, while drawing attention to the cultural and gendered histories of craft. Through processes of re-performance and appropriation, Aoyama engages with art historical works to reconsider the relationships between artist, craftsperson and labour.
Project details
Year: 2016
Artist: Satoru Aoyama
Exhibition: Division of Labour
Venue: White Rainbow, Fitzrovia, London
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Essay: Keith Whittle