Tanaka’s unique understanding of objects and materials is reflected in the four photographs that document his Process of Blowing Flour. The images depict the gradual blowing away of a plate of flour held by Tanaka. Because his pose is static throughout the images, his presence is deemphasized and instead the viewer’s attention is drawn to the motion of the flour. The subtle contrast between the fixed and the flowing generates a sense of time and ephemerality, suggesting the infinite possibilities of chance to alter our inflexible perceptions. The aesthetic quality of the flowing flour also evidences the ability of the simplest gesture to generate spectacle.
