«We are born with a self teaching, self healing, self motivating, and self defeating mechanism. I think people are only taught to develop the self defeatism ideas». — Rikki Kasso
Fine art photographer, visual artist and creative director: we asked a few questions to the young and talented Rikki Kasso, widely recognized for his huge work Tokyo Undressed.
How big is the Tokyo Undressed work?
The project started really in 2005 when I learned how to catalog my works online with a blog. For me it was a sort of “cloud storage” of ideas and to keep my data in a more accessible place than hard drives. It grew from there and is still only about 40% of the works in that series that I have had time to publish. Basically the project is bigger than me.
What was Tokyo Undressed inspired by?
I am an addictive and obsessive observer, so as soon as I arrived in Tokyo a new chapter of infatuation began. I couldn’t even remotely understand, read, or speak the language. My communication from then was purely intuitive, visual, and physical which shaped my artworks during that period. Japan has extreme cultural significance for me, as it’s current sociological system and civility in such a mass populous can not be compared to any other existing society on earth. The complex contradictions that composed the modern culture; godless and civil, expressive and repressive, crowded and isolated, amongst a long list of many, had me intrigued, and in love.
Maybe the difference between sexuality in USA and Japan inspired the work?
It really rests on its foundation – America was founded on Puritanical principles, loosely based on Christian morals and values. That set the tone for the way sexual behaviour is tolerated and understood, with strict outlines and observations. So there are always these feelings of guilt or rebellion first associated with sex in the west.
To begin with, Jesus doesn’t live in Japan. Japan was founded on a philosophy of naturism which eventually evolved into Shinto through Confucianism and Buddhist influences. The essence of nature is harmony, all of the elements are in place doing what they do. Nature does not destruct the harmony of nature. This simple understanding does not influence the moral attitudes on sex as do other religious ideal. And places most of the elements related to sex and sexuality beyond reproduction into the category of entertainment. These views coupled with an islander’s curiosity really lets a lot of the sexual energy be explored.
You are very productive, how do you manage focussing on so many different media in so many different techniques and fields such as erotic, design, video and paintings?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it focus, more like an all out assault on boredom. For me creativity has no rules, I do whatever I want and feel like at the time. Similar to a musician who’s plays a variety of instruments, or a dancer who performs in many genres. The common variable in these is the dedicated passion to consistently producing progressive results. I remember a good friend of mine in NYC when I was 18 or 19 years old, used to tell me «Oh you are so lucky that you are young with all of this energy and crazy ideas, I used to be like that when I was your age…». It’s now 15 years on, and my energy and passion for sharing creativity and inspiration has only intensified.
What are video and film projects created for?
As are most of works, they are self motivated creations with no real destination just an excuse to enjoy process of producing. In 2005 I made a feature documentary piece Somewhere in the Middle with my dear friend and filmmaker Jake Clennell. The work is some of my favourite of all time!!! I just haven’t taken the time to share it yet! It really encapsulates the vision and consciousness of the Tokyo Undressed project. Some video works are for clients but still I make them for myself.
Eroticism and loneliness are closely connected in your work, why?
Because it’s connected in us all. We often have difficulty understanding these feelings in our own life. In Japan those feelings are a social normalcy, which fits so well with my understanding. The impressions of “together” and “alone” are complicated. The state of sexuality exists in in singularity and multiplicity. We attract and lust over each other, sometimes in secrecy, sometimes in unity.
Rikki Kasso | website
Rikki Kasso was featured in Fluffer Magazine vol. 3.
(following pics are from the Frame of Mind vol. 1 series)
