Hexahedrons 六面体

Bright colored strings (nylon ropes) started to be used in Yoshikuni lida's sculptural works in the 1970s. In this particular work, two hexahedrons stand side by side, one made of lead and the other made of steel. They are made identical in size and shape to emphasize the difference in material. The lead piece suggests heaviness and closing inward, and the stainless piece, lightness and opening outward. The ropes joining the two are colored in blue, purple, etc., defining them as elements that belong to a totally different world from that of the colorless metals. The colors of these ropes reflect a color alphabet of Iida's own, in which a color represents each of the twenty-six letters, for example "blue" for the letter "L". The colors used here are those that correspond to the letters shared by the words "LEAD" and "STAINLESS STEEL". The nylon ropes that are attached to the hexahedrons control these two solid pieces of metal like horse's reins. Their role in this work makes it totally original. The sixteen ropes on the two sides not only are important as components of this sculpture, but also indicate that the most important element in this work is man's mental activities involving letters.