Architect, sculptor, painter, poet, and musician, Nobuo Kubota is a Canadian interdisciplinary artist of international renown who remains relatively unknown to the general public to this day, despite numerous notable awards, such as receiving the prestigious Governor General’s Award in 2009. Inspired by Zen philosophy, Buddhist thought, Kabuki theatre, and the Western avant-garde, his works reflect a desire to integrate design and aesthetics into the spatiotemporal nature of human experience. Initially an architect and sculptor for over a decade, he later turned his attention to music and joined the CCMC (Canadian Creative Music Collective) in the early 1970s, alongside the internationally acclaimed Canadian multidisciplinary artist Michael Snow. In 1975, the members of CCMC founded the Music Gallery in Toronto, a venue where Kubota would have the opportunity to perform publicly.

The short documentary simply titled Kubota, produced by the NFB (National Film Board of Canada) in 1982, presents one of his rare live performances, where the artist’s many talents converge on screen during an improvised show that takes place within a metal structure designed and built by the sculptor/architect himself. Inspired by free jazz and experimental music, this playful performance features a variety of instruments and everyday objects: saxophone, gongs, percussion, synthesizers, mechanical clock, and all sorts of toys. Giving free rein to his imagination and creativity, the musician freely manipulates his eclectic arsenal to compose spontaneous music—just as improbable as it is stimulating.

Watching this short documentary, it is hard not to think of the famous quote by the great American composer John Cage, who replied “I think laughter is preferable to tears” to those who couldn’t help but chuckle during his performance of Water Walk on American television in January 1960. Cage described music as “a purposeless play,” which is “an affirmation of life—not an attempt to bring order out of chaos nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply a way of waking up to the very life we’re living.” Kubota’s performance is a perfect example of this.

Cage, J. (1957). Silence, Wesleyan University Press, p.12

Frédéric Savard
Archivist and programmer

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