Keiji Ito Japanese, b. 1935
Bussoku, 2017
Ceramic
H5 1/2 x W7 5/8 x D14 5/8 in
H14 x W19.5 x D37 cm
H5 1/2 x W7 5/8 x D15 1/4 in
H14 x W19.5 x D38.8 cm
H14 x W19.5 x D37 cm
H5 1/2 x W7 5/8 x D15 1/4 in
H14 x W19.5 x D38.8 cm
C17047AP
Further images
Here we see two black feet. The two feet neither appear to be left or right. One consists of five little toes and two big toes on either end—the other consists of three toes, ten toes altogether. Through previous series and repeated motifs, Ito takes up Buddhist-like motifs without actually approaching Buddhism himself. The feet subject is rooted in Buddhist iconography called bussokuseki, stone carvings representing Buddha's footprints. While the motif is explicit, it still invites everyone's eyes to gaze upon them. During the beginning of Buddhism, Buddha's images as objects of worship and representations of the diety were of his feet. Many believed that the marks on the soles of his feet were a symbol of his divinity. You may be wondering why one foot has too many toes. It is self-expression or something else - we invite you to ponder. Ito's feet teeter as objects rather than bussokuseki - they represent more than just physical feet (ashi), however, without actually making their religious icons.
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