Page 51 - Studio International - December 1968

prising that these young artists, most of them now
in their thirties, have turned away f om all forms of
r
expressionism and all manifestations of inner pri­
vacy.
Both sculptures and the three-dimensional minia­
tures represent quite accurately the more adven­
turous aspects of the visual arts. To generalize, it is
possible to say that most works are constructed, that
they are made of a number of elements which are
often either identical or similar, and which are
fixed together. What is more they are both formal
and delicate, and become the vehicles for incidental
ambient imagery. The events and objects in the en­
vironment are reflected, associated and distorted on
their surface, as in the case of the chrome-plated
sculpture by Tada; or a network of strips, or rods,
or holes through which one looks at the environ­
ment, as in Ito's Co-existent half spheres or
Fukushima's giant slice of blue Ennemthaler, or
the grid with movable elements by Aiko Miyawaki.
Other works are self-illuminating, e.g. Yoshimura's
Thunder cloud of Minoru, Yoshida's HaylJJlasma.
An exception here is Takamatsu whose small
table in false perspective is an example of distorted
furniture and architecture, casting illogical shad­
ows. As a topological exercise it is possible to tie
a sphere into a knot in the fourth dimension and
then untie it in the fifth. It is also possible while below left Katsuhiro Yamaguchi Kite sculptures, above Masunobu Yoshimura Thunder cloud,
travelling at the speed of light to see straight lines 1965. canvas on wire frames 1966/67, neon and acrylic
as bent. Perhaps Takamatsu's furniture in another
dimension would also obey the laws of logic. Taka­
matsu is one of the few artists to have used diagram­ blematic qualities and for their unmistakable out­
matic techniques and geometry in order to con­ lines. Miki's ears range from those cast in bronze
struct sheer fantasy. He, like Arakawa, who works or plated with chrome, to huge fluorescent ears,
in two dimensions, has been preoccupied with the each in a large plastic box, over ten feet high. It
irrational development of what may appear to be has never become clear whether it is Miki that had
a rational premise. They have both painted objects become obsessed with ears, or whether as he suggests
accompanied by unreal shadows, they have both himself, the ear had become obsessed with him, and
used pastel shades almost devoid of colour. There, has failed for the past five years to leave him alone.
however, the similarities undoubtedly end because Among the most inventive sculptures are those by
Arakawa's paintings become like instructional Yamaguchi, who not only makes magical trans­
charts and Takamatsu's furniture stays just what parent objects with a light source in the centre, but
it is-impossible. also has made kite-like sculptures with cloth and
Everyday images assume a different role than in plastic stretched over wire frameworks, which are
Pop Art. For instance, Tanaka uses the outline of a unlike anything else one has seen.
heart for his mobiles, and Tomio Miki concentrates The graphics are stylistically more hybrid. In the
on ears. Both ears and hearts are used for their em- majority of cases they represent thematic versions
of some of the imagery with which the artists are
involved in their three-dimensional work. Ayo, for
instance, whose impastoed rainbow environments
impose themselves in no uncertain manner on any
interior, has produced light-hearted prints with
rainbows like small lakes spreading around the
white page. Sekine's print is a two-dimensional
version of his abacus motif, and Takamatsu makes Tomio Miki Ears in six parts. 1968 (detail)
further studies offurniture in false perspective. Only chrome-plated aluminium
Masuo Ikeda, known for his passionately scribbled
women, is solely a printmaker and his lithographs
are certainly among the most original in the field.
It is the posters, however, that in the context of
advertising design appear quite remarkable. Large,
essentially formal, simple, or intricate, it is impos­
sible to describe the quality of enjoyment and cele­
bration with which they are imbued. To all this is
added not only humour but the often incongruous
inclusion of English words and phrases which seem
strangely foreign in this context. Many posters em­
ploy optical effects, saturated brilliant colours, as
well as an occasional intrusion of traditional imag­
ery, as in the case of Tadamori Yokoo who with
incomparable irony combines such unlikely sub­
jects as aggressive samurai and lady airplanes. The
posters embody the qualities which are common to
many works in the exhibition-they are either lar­
ger than life, brighter than life, or very tiny and
delicate, but above all they emanate that very rare
thing-sheer pleasure. Aiko Miyawaki Work no. 2. 1968
Jasia Reichardt brass
263