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Beautiful Glitches: Jacob Hashimoto’s New “Kite” Works

09.19.23 | By
Beautiful Glitches: Jacob Hashimoto’s New “Kite” Works

It’s an interesting moment for artist Jacob Hashimoto. For nearly three decades, his kite-constructed works have captivated viewers with a fusion of meticulous hand-craftsmanship and the optical effect of digital pixels. His wall works often consist of six suspended layers of circular paper and bamboo “kites” that obscure as much as they reveal, shifting with every footstep. His newest exhibition The Disappointment Engine is a knock-out at Miles McEnery Gallery in New York, presenting 11 new works, including a massive wall-to-wall, cloud-like installation at the entrance.

Straight on view of Jacob Hashimoto's colorful "In order to get the self-destruct mechanism started"

Jacob Hashimoto, In order to get the self-destruct mechanism started, 2023

Close view of Jacob Hashimoto's colorful "In order to get the self-destruct mechanism started" reveals dozens of distinct patterns

Jacob Hashimoto, In order to get the self-destruct mechanism started, 2023 (detail)

Hashimoto was born in Colorado in 1973 and grew up in Walla Walla Washington, later graduating from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His father is Japanese-American and his mother is Irish-American. In a recent interview he spoke about the influence of his upbringing on his practice: “I’m half-Japanese and half European-American and having grown up Asian American – or at least half Asian-American – in a rural part of the United States definitely helped shape who I am as a person in ways that I think can’t help effect the way that I make my artwork. So my relationship with traditional materials and traditional Japanese handicraft, you know a lot of that stuff is a product of my relationship to Asian culture through the lens of being an American.”

bean-like shapes formed by hundreds of circular paper kites

Angled view of Jacob Hashimoto kite sculpture shows 6 layers.

Currently living and working in Ossining, New York, his work often reflects a fascination and re-imagining of “pixels,” influenced by 3D-computer modeling software, virtual environments, and video games – my favorite interview with him is this 6-minute video of him talking about the unexpected influence of Minecraft on a previous body of work. But beyond the digital references, these 11 new works find inspiration in “viruses, stained-glass windows, Atari circuit-board patterns, and leaf structures.” Through all the patterns and countless references and abstraction, there seems to be a general vibe that connects to our recent shared experiences of isolation, nature, computers, anxiety, connection, and a continual re-ordering of our daily routines. In short, Hashimoto’s work connects now more than ever.

Woman stands under hundreds of white paper kites at gallery entrance

Installation: Jacob Hashimoto “The Disappointment Engine,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, 2023

Detailed view of hundreds of circular white kites

Jacob Hashimoto, The Disappointment Engine, 2023 (detail)

Hundreds of circular white kites stretch from wall to wall at the entrance of the gallery

Jacob Hashimoto, The Disappointment Engine, 2023 (detail)

A note about the entrance: This location of Miles McEnery Gallery requires visitors to walk up a half-dozen steps from the entrance door to the exhibition space of the gallery, making Hashimoto’s white wall-to-wall installation a draw, veil, and obstacle. It also primes you for the best way to interact with Hashimoto’s work: to move yourself around it. All of his “kites,” like real kites, are joyously activated with movement, but it’s not the wind that causes that – it’s you. Every step and every 1/2 inch shift of your position produces a hundred visual sparks.

large blocks of black, yellow, and orange created by hundreds of circular paper kites

Jacob Hashimoto, The Rewind, 2023

An angled view of "The Rewind" showing 6 layers of kites.

Jacob Hashimoto, The Rewind, 2023

hundreds of paper "kites" form a black and white form with colorful base.

Jacob Hashimoto, Because I Shall not Know, 2023

Angled view of "Because I Shall not Know" fractures the clean pattern of black lines

Jacob Hashimoto, Because I Shall not Know, 2023

My favorite works contain large sections of “empty” space. For example, in “The Rewind” and “Because I Shall not Know” (above), large white, yellow, or black sections still buzz and shift as you move. Best of all, there’s a clear “break” when the works are viewed off-center, fracturing and dissolving their own visual foundation. The effect makes “exiting” the work as joyous as approaching it, encouraging a continuous return to each experience.

Dozens of paper kites form a colorful central mass surrounded by patterns of black-and-white.

Jacob Hashimoto, The Chance Passage Through the Heart of Light, 2023

angled view of kite sculpture shows all 6 layers

Jacob Hashimoto, The Chance Passage Through the Heart of Light, 2023

3 Jacob Hashimoto works hang in Miles McEnery Gallery

Installation: Jacob Hashimoto “The Disappointment Engine,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, 2023

4 Jacob Hashimoto works hang in Miles McEnery Gallery

Installation: Jacob Hashimoto “The Disappointment Engine,” Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, 2023

Full of complexity, craftsmanship, object, aura, mystery, and joy, it’s an unmissable experience if you’re in New York this fall. Jacob Hashimoto: The Disappointment Engine, is on view at Miles McEnery Gallery in New York through October 21st.

What: Jacob Hashimoto: The Disappointment Engine
Where: Miles McEnery Gallery, 511 W 22nd St, New York, NY
When: September 7 – October 21, 2023

All images courtesy of the artist and Miles McEnery Gallery, New York

David Behringer visits over 200 galleries every month to uncover and share the most exciting contemporary art in New York today. Subscribe to his exclusive weekly newsletter at www.thetwopercent.com and learn about his private gallery tours. And be sure to check out his YouTube.