Urban Nature-Naoka Ito

Urban Nature

 Ubiquitous
2009
Glass jar, tree
35 x 70 x 50 inches
88.9 x 177.8 x 127 cm

    Naoko Ito (born 1977, Tokyo, Japan), is an emerging artist living and working in New York City. Ito recently receive her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York, NY. She holds a BFA in Science of Design as well as Curator Certification from the Musashino Art University in Tokyo,
Japan. Urban Nature is her first solo exhibition. Group exhibitions include CRG Gallery (New York, NY), 2010 SOHO20 Gallery Chelsea (New York, NY), Yasashii Yokan Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), Perry Rubenstein Gallery (New York NY), Ise Cultural Foundation (New York, NY), Visual Arts
Gallery, School of Visual Arts (New York, NY), X Initiative (New York, NY), ZieherSmith Gallery (New York, NY) Ozone Gallery (Tokyo, Japan), DIC Color Square (Tokyo, Japan), White Box/The Annex (New York, NY). Fellowships, Residencies and Grants include the Artists Residency Program at Yaddo (Saratoga Springs, NY), Studio Program at Chashama (Brooklyn, NY), Artist Studio Residenc Program at SOHO20 Gallery Chelsea (New York, NY), School of Visual Arts Graduate Department Award and the Alumni Society of School of Visual Arts Scholarship Award.

      New York based artist Naoko Ito has long had the foresight to understand the shift towards the 'Rurban' lifestyle as we meld our love of urban living with the rural idyl. 'Rurban ' is one of the four directions we explore in the Spring Summer 2012 'Harvest' trend report by The Trend Boutique.

Ito's installations titled 'Urban Nature' have been exhibited since 2008, and has now developed into a set of pieces comprised of tree branches and glass jars. Simple in its execution, these installations actually are a perfect reflection of the changing world around us & our shift in sensibilities.

     " I feel like two dimensions is not enough for me to explain about myself or what I’m talking about, what I’m thinking about." –  Naoko Ito

      Ito advocates that our entire lives are in a constant state of decay and renewal, an idea elegantly illustrated through the pieces Ubiquitous, Flora andPlight. In these works, segmented tree branches are preserved in glass jars. Ito’s choice of material originally stems from a desire to replicate the luminosity and fragility of ice, a natural material that shares the quality of preservation with jars. Stacked precariously on the concrete, the works are evidence of an unfaltering hand.

A large gallery wall crawls with knotted wire, laboriously knitted by Ito over six months. Its seemingly fragile quality mimics moss or ivy. Living in New York City, she doesn’t have much exposure to wilderness. Trees are a common site in Raleigh, the City of Oaks. But around her home, Ito must purchase branches from the local flower market in order to create her artworks.

     This piece fits well into this gallery because it has that shock and awe factor and it also is nature related.