This beautiful fall day brought a visit from the visionary artist, Mariyo Yagi.   Yagi, a self-described environmental artist, has long been a friend to LongHouse founder Jack Lenor Larsen.  Born in Kobe, Japan, Mariyo served as an assistant to Isamu Noguchi.

Since 1980, Yagi has created "artscapes", outdoor installations that can be seen in locations around the globe.  These sculptures are large in scale and are sometimes constructed with the help of volunteers whose hands-on assistance makes them an actual part of the piece.  In order to fully realize her projects, Mariyo became a licensed  civil engineer and contractor, the first Japanese sculptor to do so.

Today Mariyo is here repairing one of her earliest works, "The One" that is part of our collection.  LongHouse Reserve also has two other pieces by Yagi:  "The Spiral Locomotion" 1993, and "NAWA Axis for Peace" 2014.  

Check out the photos from today and from Yagi's other works at LongHouse.

"The One" is one of Mariyo's oldest sculptures and was created in 1978.  Made of hemp, the piece has started to show signs of wear with unraveling and deterioration. 

Mariyo and Bonifacio are working in the office conservatory.  On the wall are baskets that Jack has collected from around the world.  

Mariyo and Bonifacio work on the base of the sculpture, adding more hemp as needed.

The bottom portion of the sculpture is black.

The top portion of the sculpture is a natural color.

At the middle section they come together as one, "The One." Working together, You (Na) and I (Wa) is a recurring theme in Mariyo's work.

The top of the sculpture.

Bonifacio works on the base of the sculpture underneath a prize winning work from our Student Annual.   Students from Longwood High School created this mixed media piece of the iconic sculptures of LongHouse including Mariyo's "NAWA Axis for Peace" shown on the right side of the work.  The piece is made entirely of recycled paint chips.  

Another look at "Paint Chip Panorama" by the Longwood High School Art Workshop students, is a marvel to behold.  This piece won Best in Show, Collaborative, 2014 in our Student Annual.

Mariyo's "NAWA Axis for Peace" is installed in our Amphitheater.  Made from Sunbrella fabric, this sculpture remains outdoors throughout the four seasons.

Here is the NAWA standing tall after Winter Storm Jonas last year.

The NAWA was constructed on our First Lawn in May, 2014.  People of all ages and from many countries came to participate in the "twisting" of the sculpture.

The construction at times resembled the game Twister!

Here Mariyo inspects the work before more twisting.

Once the twisting was completed, the volunteers hoisted it and carried it from First Lawn to the Amphitheater.  Working together, as one, is central to Yagi's work.

The NAWA was raised into place with ropes then everyone celebrated.

Here is a photo of the NAWA surrounded by our summer chairs, also made with Sunbrella fabric.

The other work by Mariyo Yagi that resides at LongHouse is "The Spiral Locomotion" 1993.  This piece remains indoors but is often put in our Pavilion space for all of our guests to enjoy.  

Here is "The Spiral Locomotion" in the Pavilion space a few summers ago.  It is made of sisal and resin.

It is always a thrill when an artist comes to visit.  Check out more of Mariyo's work on her website.