Summary of On Kawara: Conceptual Art and Time

## Introduction On Kawara was a conceptual artist known for systematic projects that document time, daily routines, and existential state. His works often employ a simple, repetitive format, with meaning derived from regularity, context, and consistent documentation. > Definition: On Kawara – a conceptual artist who produced serial works documenting time, date, and daily events as an act of ongoing record-keeping and self-reflection. ## Key Projects and Principles Below, we'll explore each series, detailing its rules, techniques, and significance. ### Today (Date Paintings) - Description: The "Today" series consists of hand-painted canvases featuring the date of the painting's completion, written in white letters on a monochrome background. - Format and Rules: - Eight standard sizes, all horizontally oriented; with the exception of three larger canvases from July 1969 (approximately 5×7 ft). - The date is written according to the linguistic and grammatical conventions of the country of origin (e.g., "13 JUIN 2006" in Monaco, in Japanese, or in Esperanto if Romani script is needed). - The date is hand-painted, with the typeface evolving from an extended Gill Sans to Futura. - If the painting was not completed on that day, it was destroyed. - Technique: - Liquitex on canvas, four coats of primer, sanding between layers. - Each date is center-aligned, with white lettering and varying background shades over time. - Documentation and Archiving: - The canvases are stored in cardboard boxes with a clipping from a local newspaper (often The New York Times). - Each work is recorded in a journal and marked in the "One Hundred Years Calendar". - A paint sample is affixed in the journal, along with its sequential number for the year and a letter indicating its size. > Definition: Date Painting – A painting that bears the completion date as its sole visual message, standardized by size, text placement, and documentation practices. Practical Example: A student can create their own "Date Painting" following the same rules: select a standard dimension, choose a background color, plan the painting to be completed in a single day, and keep a simple journal with a color sample and a brief note about local newspapers. ### One Million Years - Description: A text-based project comprising lists of all years for the past one million years and the future one million years, relative to the moment of the work's creation. - Format and Execution: - Two parts: "One Million Years [Past]" dedicated to those who lived and died; "One Million Years [Future]" dedicated to "the last one". - Sometimes interpreted or presented through public readings, where readers sequentially recite the years. - Significance: It reflects human perception of time, the transience of individual life, and the absurd scale of a long temporal horizon. Did you know: One Million Years was first created in 1969 and has since been repeatedly presented through public readings and recordings worldwide? ### I Got Up / I Got Up At / I Am Still Alive / I Went / I Met - Description: A series of informational/postcard and telegram projects that document the individual acts of waking up, traveling, meeting, or confirming existence. - Rules and Format: - "I Got Up": The artist sent two postcards daily with the time of waking, date, location, and recipient's address. - "I Got Up At": Stamped waking times. - "I Am Still Alive": Telegrams sent to acquaintances with the message "I AM STILL ALIVE". - "I Went" and "I Met": Postcards with brief reports on activities and encounters. - Archiving: These correspondences became part of the broader documentation of Kawara's practice and mapped his circuitous journeys. Fun fact: In 1973, Kawara sent postcards from 28 different cities — the repetition contrasting with the highly variable geographical context. ### One-hundred-year calendars - Principle: On each calendar, the days of his life are marked with colored dots: yel