Artist Group OVER ALLs delivered a live painting performance for the Rakuten Super Night Game at Tokyo Dome. They only had the duration of the match to finish the artwork, and many people stopped in front of the art to voice their admiration of the performance. What did they wish to convey in their piece “FULL COUNT,” when they agreed to work with Rakuten for an event about a better future through sports? We talked to OVER ALLs representative Taketo Akazawa and painter Yuki Yamamoto.

——What message did you hope to get across through your artwork for this event focusing on “A Better Future Through Sports?”

Taketo Akazawa (hereafter, Akazawa): “I feel like many people have come to realize that the things we thought we could live without are actually important, after the whole world changed drastically over the past few years. I think the ‘together through sports’ part is especially important in this event’s theme. Art is similar to sports in the way that neither are actually essential to life when compared to things like food, clothing, and housing. But I actually have this image of food being replaced by ‘adornment’ (synonymous with food ‘shoku’ in Japanese) in this framework of food, clothing, and housing. By adornment I don’t mean decorating yourself with accessories and whatnot, but rather enriching your life and your existence by being deeply moved. In that sense, sports, art, and music are all essential, and when these become the center of the world, it will lead to a better future.”

Yuki Yamamoto (hereafter, Yamamoto): “I think our role is to have people see us working, and if we can get them to think ‘Hey that’s cool,’ or ‘That makes me want to work hard, too,’ then mission accomplished. I actually had no idea how I could become an artist, and I never got the chance to see artists actually working on their artwork. I hope that by doing a live performance inside a stadium, I was able to reach a lot of kids and show them what art is. It would be great if some of those kids decide they want to go into art because of this, or if they decide they want to become professional baseball players like Tanaka and Asamura. I want them to know that a single experience can open doors in many directions.”

——The theme of your artwork is “FULL COUNT.” Please tell us about your message in the theme.

Akazawa: “When I thought about what kind of future I see in sports players, what came to my mind was the athletes’ piercing gaze in critical moments during fierce competition. And I thought that for many people watching sports, those very moments are the things that move them. There’s a power in those moments to carve out the future, and that became the foundation for this piece. When I drew Masahiro Tanaka and Ei Asamura, I aimed for an angle where the viewers would feel as if they themselves were the ball, being pierced with their sharp gaze. I chose the phrase ‘full count’ to capture the tension for both pitcher and batter, to show how the game can go good or bad for both of them.”

——What were some things you were conscious of when you were working on this piece?

Yamamoto: “I always focus on the eyes when I do portraits. For this piece, I was especially careful about showing the piercing intensity of their gaze. I also structured the composition so that one eye of each player overlaps with the ball.”

——What were you thinking while you were painting?

Yamamoto: “I was thinking about how the game was going! I was simply just wishing all of them luck, and the fact that I was drawing someone who was actually pitching or batting while I was there drawing them was just unreal.”

——It took approximately four hours to complete the work. On the surface it seemed like it happened in an instant, but what were the actual steps that led to this point? We’d love to hear any behind-the-scenes episodes.

Akazawa: “It actually took two months to do meetings and everything. As it is the way for all projects, it takes time to decide on a theme and concept, so we iterate on multiple concepts to arrive at the optimal choice. For this project, there were concepts like ‘the players’ high school days’ and ‘the image of the player from a child’s perspective.’ There were probably nearly 20 of them in all. Yamamoto and I went back and forth, arguing about this and that, gradually refining them until we arrived at the finished piece.”

——It felt like live painting has elements that let you enjoy not just the finished artwork but the process as well. Is that kind of expression intentional?

Yamamoto: “Yes. It is kind of like taking a detour, if you will. I will paint the same picture in a different way if I’m not doing a live painting show. For this piece, we started by writing out the theme in text, and staged it so highlights will be scattered across the show. The text got covered up, but you know. What makes live painting fun is how there’s no knowing if everything is going to go according to plan, and that’s what I feel makes it so appealing.”

——I feel like professional baseball players playing a match and an artist working on a live painting show are both doing “lives.” Do you ever feel like what you’re doing is close to what baseball players are doing?

Yamamoto: “Personally, I envy sports players and musicians. Painting lacks the high-profile glamour of sports or music, and it’s more something you appreciate after viewing it several times or after some time has passed. Today’s live show was realized only because a lot of people helped us prepare for it, so it feels different in that way, too. It would be great if I could get a whole stadium to cheer for me too.”

Akazawa: “I couldn’t agree more! Despite the differences, art has its own unique charm and lasting appeal. While you can always rewatch sports and music, they are both most enjoyable when viewed live, in the moment. This painting will be taken to Sendai, the home of the Rakuten Eagles, so people will be able to enjoy the passage of time, and that is what I think is one of the appeals of art.”

——Is being ‘something that remains’ a point you’re conscious of?

Yamamoto: “Yes. I don’t want it to be something that quickly disappears.”

Akazawa: “Once a painting is finished, whether it remains or not is largely up to those who view it. That is why we as OVER ALLs will continue to make art to align with other people’s feelings and intentions, and not just for our own sake. For this piece, it was essential to figure out how to convey Rakuten’s message of ‘A Better Future Together’ through Tanaka and Asamura, and whether what we portrayed will be passed on.”

——What kind of presence would you like OVER ALLs to be going forward?

AAkazawa: “In Japan, art often focuses on niche subjects. But we’re interested in doing something more pop. In musical terms, we’d like to focus on pop or melodic punk rock as opposed to death metal. I mean, I get it, sometimes I feel like we can just make art that resonates only with the people who understand it. But we want to be someone that makes people’s heart go ‘WOW!’ when they experience our art―that’s what we want to keep consciously pursuing.”

TEXT: Keisuke Honda
PHOTO: Masato Ura