There’s a saying that goes, "You can’t do art without politics, and you can’t do politics without art." So it should be no surprise that the offices of Hawaii politicians are loaded with art.

More than 900 works are on display at the state Capitol building, and on Friday the public is invited to come by and see much of that artwork at the sixth annual Art at the Capitol event. More than 50 legislators, the governor and the lieutenant governor will open their offices, allowing visitors to view the more than 500 works on display there.

State Sen. Brian Taniguchi started the event after a talk with a docent at the Hawai‘i State Art Museum during a First Friday visit.

"He kind of confronted me about how come we have all this art at the state Capitol and nobody really gets to see it," Tani­gu­chi said. "It’s just the lobbyists who are around, and people may go to their own representatives’ or senators’ (offices) but they don’t go to everybody’s."

A visit to some of lawmakers’ offices reveals eclectic tastes, but intention and purpose are behind many choices. State Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland’s office is covered with artwork of all kinds, from fine paintings by renowned artists to pencil sketches drawn by her now-adult children when they were in grade school.

A recent addition is an untitled abstract work by Kauai-born artist Ray Yoshida that looks like a tapestry of leaves and vines interwoven amid a series of geometric shapes. Oakland was particularly taken with the description of Yoshida’s work as representing "continuous transformation."

"A lot of what we do here is actually doing continuous transformation, in all walks of life and all the issues we deal with," said Oakland, adding that her staff also liked it because it "was not only beautiful, but seemed very intricate." 

There was a practical component as well. "It also matched our furniture," she said.

Other legislators enjoy a personal connection to the art on display. State Rep. Isaac Choy proudly pointed out an abstract painting, "Dancers," was by fellow Roosevelt High School graduate John Young. Choy also has four works featuring calligraphy by his mother, Kazuko Choy. "She makes one for me every year I get elected," he said.

"Art is living, and without art you’re just merely existing," he said. "You can start looking at this stuff and picture why they did it, or even the time frame they did it."

Aside from their own collections, legislators choose art from the collection administered by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Some of the foundation’s nearly 6000 works are on exhibit at the Hawai‘i State Art Museum or other public sites, but the Capitol has more on display than any other site, Tani­gu­chi said. (Much of the artwork can be seen online at dags.hawaii.gov/sfca/gallery/index.php.)

The works were purchased under the Art in State Buildings Law, first enacted in 1967 and enhanced in 1989, which set aside 1 percent of spending on government buildings and renovation for art acquisition. Hawaii was the first state to enact such legislation. As of 2013, 25 states had similar programs, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

Since many of the pieces go in the staff offices, legislators often let their staff select some pieces. Such was the case with Kauai Rep. James Kunane Toki­oka when his office manager Richard Silva, legislative aide Jordan Ozaki and receptionist Jared Higa­shi asked to redecorate.

"His one request was (the works) be Kauai-related," Silva said. "So all the works are either done by Kauai artists or were done on Kauai or are of Kauai or have some sort of relation to Kauai."

Among the works they selected are some unusual photographs — one by Dorothy Walker of the roots of a palm tree almost looks like a painting of fish — and the surrealistic image "A Portrait of Indecision," by Stanley Tomita.

Tokioka’s office also features a painting of the Kau Coast on Hawaii island. Although not of Kauai, the painting has special significance to Toki­oka because he was a friend of the artist, television personality Mike Saka­moto. He also plans to hang another Saka­moto painting, of Luma­hai Beach on Kauai, which Saka­moto’s daughter loaned to him.

"A lot of people didn’t know he was a painter," Silva said. "He was an avid fisherman, he had his TV show ("Fishing Tales"), but he also loved to paint and was an extremely talented painter. And he used different media. He did oil, he did watercolor, he did all sorts of different things."

Art at the Capitol highlights more than just politicians’ offices. This year’s program features the huge glass light fixtures in the House and Senate chambers, which were created by Boston artist Otto Piene. Although Piene cannot attend the event, a brief interview with him will be screened. And artist Harry Tsu­chi­dana will spend time in Choy’s office to talk about his abstract work "Explode," a tempera-on-paper work.

"They really like that, actually," Tani­guchi said of the invited artists. "It’s a social event for them, and it’s an acknowledgment of their work."

Aac Booklet 2014 – Final by Honolulu Star-Advertiser