Midori Mitamura

Beyer バイエル

Exhibition  "Not So Smooth"
2002
SHISEIDO Gallery, Tokyo

資生堂ギャラリー　/ 東京

バイエル  2002 
展覧会 "Not So Smooth" 資生堂ギャラリー / 東京  

母と小学生の頃の姉が写った、一枚のモノクロのスナップ写真。
たまたま庭先でシャッターを押されたその写真では、母の上半身が洗濯物で隠れてしまって顔が見えない。
見慣れたスーツのデザインで、私たち家族はその女性が母だとわかる。
 
日傘の陰に顔を覆われた女性が土手を歩いているカラー写真。 
それはモノクロのスナップ写真の中の少女の三十数年後、母親になった姉の姿を私が撮影したものだ。
姉はピアノの先生なり、妹の私はバイエルを終えたところでピアノをやめてしまった。
その後、様々な経験をして大人になった私たち。
バイエルは、始まったばかりの無垢な人生の思い出。
もういちど、下手なバイエルを弾いて、私たちの人生のスタートに捧げる。

Exhibition  "Not So Smooth"
2002
SHISEIDO Gallery / Tokyo

Beyer

 I found an old black-and -white photograph that was taken in my family’s garden in 1970.

My mother and my elder sister appeared in the image.

Accidentally, my mother's face is hidden behind some washing.

But her dress reminds me that she is definitely my mother. 

In another color photograph, a woman is walking along a riverbank.

Her dress is similar to the one my mother used to wear.

Her face is also hidden behind the parasol. She is my elder sister. 

Over 30 years had passed after another black-and-white photograph was taken.

 “Beyer” symbolizes a sweet memory of our early days, my sister and I, an introduction to our lives.

After we finished Beyer, we grew up into women with various experiences.

Although I quit piano just after finishing Beyer, my elder sister continued practice and became a piano teacher.

And finally she also became a mother.

Her life seemed very smooth and stable that is a complete contrast to me, but one day,  big trouble happened to her.

That might be the first crisis that she might have met in her life.

We are walking our own ways, that are sometimes not so smooth.

I dedicated my poor playing of Beyer to my sister in the artwork.

Although I never imagined that would I played Beyer again.