Page 56 - Studio International - December 1972

One thing which was characteristic of
Made in Japan unique, and all seemed over-familiar. Each traditional Japanese prints, and which
print in the exhibition wanted to be classified
rather than looked at. They all fit into seemed to be present in these prints also, was a
THE `CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE GRAPHICS' categories; 'This one's conceptual, this one's clear and sympathetic understanding of the
EXHIBITION WAS HELD AT THE ICA, LONDON, pop' etc. Conceptual ideas predominated but process and a sensitivity to it. Traditionally this
FROM 2-15 OCTOBER only as records or documentation of other events meant that an artist would often incorporate
or works, such as Jun Hatta's photograph and grain from the block of wood he was printing
Nobuo Sekine's silkscreen. Few of the prints from, or that he might print a single colour six
succeeded as pieces in their own right. The role or more times on top of itself for a very special
Japanese printmaking has always been of documentation given to prints is one which colour and texture. It also meant that an artist
regarded as having produced some of the best they can easily fill but it is an obvious one, which would often hand-colour prints, combine
art ever. Very few people argue about the is too easily exploited commercially. One can't various papers, or use other sorts of collage,
beauty of the Ukiyo-e wood-cuts. So it was a sell a piece consisting of flour on the floor of a again for a particular result. In these
shock and a surprise to see the first gallery, or nails and rope on the walls, but one contemporary Japanese prints I saw several
exhibition of contemporary Japanese graphics can usually sell a signed photo-silkscreen that prints using collage, and some prints using a
at the ICA and find little trace of that records that piece. combination of printing processes. Silkscreen
tradition in any of the prints there. Not that Few of the prints seemed to rise above the was used on photographs, as in Norio Imai's
contemporary Japanese artists should be held to level of being interesting, and again they were print, and on other materials as well. There
the art of their past. But what was disappointing interesting only as interpretations of ideas were two or three examples of collage by
was to discover that none of that tradition had already well hashed out. Silk-screen is a quick, Etsutmo Kashihara, Shigeyuki Kawachi and
helped to create some prints that were unique, or inexpensive and flexible process, but no one Koji Enokura. One particular multi-panelled
at least more interesting than what seems to seems to be able to go beyond what has become print by Tadanori Yokoo was richly built up of
predominate in the graphics world at the the archetypal photo-silk-screen. The various patterns and layers of ink. Perhaps this
moment. The majority of the prints were lithographs in the exhibition, by Juichi Saito and fresh and unfettered mixture of processes will in
silk-screens and only two were wood-cuts. Shinji Vematsu, were the worst of the lot, future be used by the Japanese to produce
More surprising was the eclectic nature of the making no use of the process itself. They something more than an echo of the West.
work — it could have come from anywhere. It is looked very much like hundreds and BUD SHARK
obvious that young Japanese artists are looking thousands of other abstract lithographic
to the West, and at every Western magazine crayon drawings of no distinction. Of the two
Tadanori Yokoo
and reproduction they can find. There was wood-cuts, one was an over conscious attempt
Wonderland, 102 X 73cms
nothing in this selection of work which was at being oriental, from Tadashi Nishi. Silkscreen, a series of 8