小谷謙／Kotani Ken

小谷謙（1920～2012）は、兵庫県出身の彫刻家です。

養父郡八鹿町（現・養父市）に生まれた小谷は、1941年に京都市立美術工芸学校を卒業後、東京美術学校（現・東京芸術大学）に進学し、芸術の道を究めていきました。1951年に、第6回行動美術展に初めて作品を発表し、以降は同展に毎年出品を続け、1958年には行動美術協会の会員に推挙されました。また、1952年から1981年まで滋賀大学学芸学部にて教授を務め、1982年から1999年までは京都女子大学の非常勤講師として指導に携わっており、後進の育成にも貢献しています。

そんな小谷の創作活動の一つに、山口県宇部市が主催した野外彫刻展への参加が挙げられます。かつて石炭産業で栄えた宇部市では、1950年代半ば頃から、戦後の町の美化や生活空間の改善を目指す様々な市民運動が盛り上がりを見せていました。アートによる町づくりの先駆けとも言える「まちを彫刻で飾る運動」もその一環であり、こうした気運のなかで開催されたのが、日本初の大規模な野外彫刻展「第1回宇部市野外彫刻展」（1961年）です。小谷がこの展覧会に出品した【記念碑】には、安価で可塑性の高い素材として、当時のアートシーンにおいて新たに導入され始めていたコンクリートが用いられています。本作品において、コンクリートの造形は何かを包みこもうとする瞬間の掌のような曲線を描いており、空洞になっている真ん中の部分にはハープの弦を思わせる鉄の棒が並べられています。いずれも硬く冷たい素材ながら、小谷の手によって形作られたこのモニュメントの佇まいは、あくまでやわらかく、独特の静謐さを漂わせています。同年開催の「宇部市をテーマにした彫刻展」で発表した【伸びる形態】も、同様の造形、雰囲気を持つ作品です。その後、「宇部市野外彫刻展」の後身である「UBEビエンナーレ（現代日本彫刻展）」や「日本国際美術展」などにも招待出品し、個展も行うなど、その旺盛な創作活動は2012年に亡くなるまで続きました。

Ken Kotani (1920-2012) was a sculptor from Hyogo Prefecture.

Born in Yokacho, Yabu District (now Yabu City), he graduated from the Kyoto City Senior High School of Art in 1941, then went on to study at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts), dedicating himself to the path of art. In 1951, he presented his work for the first time at the 6th Action Art Exhibition, and thereafter continued to exhibit annually at the same event. In 1958, he was recommended as a member of the Kohdo Bijutsu Japan (Action Art Association). From 1952 to 1981, he served as a professor at the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences Arts at Shiga University, and from 1982 to 1999, he contributed to education as a part-time lecturer at Kyoto Women’s University. He also made contributions to nurturing the next generation.

One notable aspect of Kotani’s creative activities was his participation in outdoor sculpture exhibitions organized by Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. In Ube City, which had once prospered in the coal industry, various citizen movements aimed at beautifying the town and improving living spaces had been gaining momentum since the mid-1950s. Among these movements was the initiative to “decorate the town with sculptures”, which can be considered a pioneer of town planning through art. The first large-scale outdoor sculpture exhibition in Japan, the “1st Ube City Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition” (1961), was held amid such fervor. In the monument Kotani exhibited at this exhibition, he used concrete, which was newly introduced into the art scene at that time, was being used as an inexpensive and highly plastic material. In this work, the concrete sculpture depicts curves resembling the palm of a hand reaching to envelop something, with a hollowed-out center lined with iron rods reminiscent of harp strings. Despite being made of rigid and cold materials, the demeanor of this monument, shaped by Kotani’s hands, exudes a softness and a unique tranquility. “Growing Form”, exhibited at the “Sculpture Exhibition with Ube City as the Theme” held the same year, is also a work with similar forms and atmosphere. Subsequently, he was invited to participate in events such as the “UBE Biennale (Contemporary Japanese Sculpture Exhibition)” and the “Japan International Art Exhibition”, as well as holding solo exhibitions, continuing his prolific creative activities until his passing in 2012.