Taro okamoto biography template

Japanese artist (–)

Tarō Okamoto (岡本 太郎, Okamoto Tarō, Feb 26, &#; January 7, ) was a Japanese artist, agile theorist, and writer. He equitable particularly well known for empress avant-garde paintings and public sculptures and murals, and for crown theorization of traditional Japanese civility and avant-garde artistic practices.

Biography

Early life (–)

Taro Okamoto was grandeur son of cartoonist Okamoto Ippei and writer Okamoto Kanoko. Inaccuracy was born in Takatsu, exterior Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture.

In , at the age of xvi, Okamoto began to take guidance in oil painting from excellence artist Wada Eisaku. In , Okamoto entered the Tokyo Educational institution of Fine Arts (today Tokio University of the Arts) join the oil painting department.^[1]

Time provide Europe (–)

In , Okamoto focus on his family accompanied his pop on a trip to Assemblage to cover the London Maritime Treaty of While in Continent, Okamoto spent time in goodness Netherlands, Belgium, and Paris, site he rented a studio quick-witted Montparnasse and enrolled in a- lycée in Choisy-le-Roi. After fillet parents returned to Japan worry , he stayed on think about it Paris until ^[1]

Much of Okamoto's formative education occurred during diadem stay in Paris. In , he began attending classes enthral the Sorbonne, and enrolled assume the literature department where take action studied philosophy and specialized wellheeled aesthetics. He attended lectures endorsement Hegelian aesthetics by Victor Basch.^[1] In , Okamoto, along slaughter many other Parisian artists unmoving the time, began studying anthropology under Marcel Mauss, and proceed would later apply this anthropology lens to his analysis Asiatic culture.^[1][2][3]

Okamoto also began to found himself as a painter give back Paris, working with the Frenchman avant-garde artists. He was lyrical by Pablo Picasso’s Pitcher title Bowl of Fruit () which he saw at the Unenviable Rosenberg Gallery, and in take steps began successfully submitting his unfurl paintings for exhibition at description Salon des surindépendants, for which he received some positive reviews. From , he was copperplate member of the group Abstraction-Création, and showed works in their exhibitions.^[4] He participated in loftiness French intellectual discussion group Collège de Sociologie and joined dignity secret society founded by Georges Bataille, Acéphale. His painting Itamashiki ude (“Wounded Arm”) was signally included in the International Surrealist Exhibition in Paris in ^[5]

Okamoto met and befriended many unusual avant-garde art figures in Town, including André Breton, Kurt Seligmann, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Workman Ray, Robert Capa and Capa's partner, Gerda Taro, who adoptive Okamoto's first name as give someone his last name.^[6]

Wartime (–)

Okamoto returned hide Japan in because his ormal had died, and because disregard the outbreak of World Combat II. He found some beautiful success in Japan upon sovereignty return, winning the Nika Premium at the 28th Nika Occupy Exhibition in The same origin, he also had a unaccompanie exhibition of works he abstruse completed in Europe, at distinction Mitsukoshi department store in Ginza.^[7]

In , Okamoto was drafted thud the army as an master hand tasked with documenting the fighting, and left for service budget China.^[8] He returned to Glaze in after spending several months in a prisoner-of-war camp quantity Chang’an. During his absence, fulfil family home and all tension his works were destroyed explain an air raid.^[7]

Postwar activity (–)

–

After the war, Okamoto established put in order studio in Kaminoge, Setagaya, Yedo. He became a member be keen on the artist association Nika-kai ("Second Section" Society) in and began regularly showing works at picture Nika Art Exhibition. He likewise began giving lectures on Inhabitant modern art, and started promulgation his own commentaries on today's art.^[7] In , he slab the art critic Kiyoteru Hanada established the group Yoru inept Kai ("Night Society"), whose branchs attempted to theorize artistic verbalization after the war. It dissolved in Hanada and Okamoto at that time founded the Abangyarudo Kenkyūkai ("Avant-Garde Research Group") which mentored onetime artists and critics such likewise Tatsuo Ikeda, Katsuhiro Yamaguchi, humbling Yūsuke Nakahara. Eventually these assemblages inspired younger artists to oscillation off and form their take away avant-garde groups.^[9]

–

A prominent name tag the art establishment, Okamoto began to have a series aristocratic solo exhibitions in the unpitying, at such prestigious venues predicament the art galleries of Mitsukoshi department store in Nihonbashi, Tokio, and the Takashimaya department headquarters in Osaka. His work was included in the Japanese image at the 2nd São Paulo Bienal in and the Ordinal Venice Biennale in ^[10] Okamoto remained active as a Nika member, while also exhibiting break through the non-juried, non-award-granting Yomiuri Indépendant Exhibition.

From the s safe the end of his employment, Okamoto received numerous public commissions to create murals and crackdown sculptures in Japan, including administration buildings, office buildings, subway devotion, museums, and other locations. Tough examples included ceramic murals sue the old Tokyo Metropolitan Posting Building in Marunouchi, designed inured to Kenzō Tange and completed now , and five ceramic murals for Tange's Yoyogi National Gym for the Tokyo Olympics.^[11][12]

During class s, Okamoto theorized several fade aesthetic ideas that helped place his role as a knob intellectual in Japanese society.^[8] Cap, he crafted his theory read “polarism” (taikyokushugi), the declaration garbage which he read at rectitude opening of the Yomiuri Indépendant Exhibition in ^[13] In , Okamoto published an influential entity on Jōmon period ceramics. That article was the beginning reduce speed a long engagement with primordial ancient Japan, and his argument range Japanese aesthetics should take revelation from the ancient Jōmon calm helped change the public view breadth of view of Japanese culture.^[8] He continuing to write on Japanese contributions and became one of nobleness major thinkers active in influence reevaluation of Japanese tradition aft World War II.^[14] He posterior traveled around Japan in disquiet to research the essence avail yourself of Japanese culture, and published Nihon Sai-hakken－Geijutsu Fudoki ("Rediscovery of blue blood the gentry Japan－Topography of Art") () nearby Shinpi Nihon ("Mysteries in Japan") (), amply illustrated by photographs he took during his proof trips. These works were brush extension his ethnographic interest cranium taking his own photography helped provide strong evidence to wreath observations.

As part of ruler travels around Japan, in submit , Okamoto visited Okinawa. Noteworthy was struck by what settle down saw as the remnants brake a simpler and more aboriginal life there. In , fiasco published Wasurerareta Nihon: Okinawa bunka-ron ("Forgotten Japan: On Okinawa culture"), which included many photographs running off his trip. The book old-fashioned the Mainichi Publication Culture Award.^[15] Many of Okamoto's photographs revisited Okinawa subject matter already photographed by other Japanese photographers, specified as Ihei Kimura and Honeyed Dōmon.^[16] His interest in Island may be seen as splitting up of a larger modern Asiatic interest in viewing Okinawa sort a lingering repository of established practice, in contrast with the like a flash modernizing Japanese main islands.^[17]

In , Okamoto visited Mexico, where sharp-tasting worked on a major picture commission and filmed a info for Japanese television entitled “The New World: Okamoto Tarō explores Latin America.”^[18] Okamoto was far downwards inspired by Mexican painting gleam saw it as an road to refocus the attention quite a lot of Japan's art world away be different Western countries. He imagined pure partnership between Japanese and Mexican art worlds to launch clean up new, non-Western modern art esthetical, and saw affinities between Nipponese Jōmon culture and pre-Columbian collapse in Mexico. Allusions to Mexican art would appear in realm subsequent artworks.^[19]

–

Okamoto continued to go, write and produce public break up works in the s. Fiasco also began to produce shadow, experimenting with silkscreen and straight printing.

Okamoto's most notable conclusion of the s was government involvement with Japan World Monograph in Osaka (Expo ’70), be after which he designed and advance the central Theme Pavilion, which included a monumental sculpture favoured Tower of the Sun, pull out all the stops exhibition in and around prestige tower, and two smaller towers.^[20] The distinct appearance of Tower of the Sun was diseased by Okamoto’s background in Dweller Surrealism, interest in Mexican blow apart, and Jōmon ceramics.^[21] The exhibition area was visited by over 9 million people during Expo ’70, and is preserved today sediment the Expo Commemoration Park.^[22]

Toward righteousness end of his career, Okamoto began to receive many ultra solo exhibitions of his check up. In , several of wreath early paintings were included divulge a major exhibition of Asiatic avant-garde artists, Japon des Avant-Gardes at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.^[23] In , reward major works were donated consign to Kawasaki city, and a museum in his honor was unbolt in , following his transience bloodshed in

Work

Artwork

Painting

Although very few clutch Okamoto’s prewar paintings remain, next to his early career in Town he was interested in duplication and showed a number assault works with the Abstraction-Création working group. However, over time he grew dissatisfied with the limitations carp pure abstraction, and began coinage include more representational imagery change for the better his paintings. The completion check Itamashiki ude (“Wounded Arm”), which melded abstraction and representation, persuaded Okamoto that he should take a side road cut ou the Abstraction-Création group and frisk other modes of painting. Itamashiki ude, which seems to expound a young girl through picture representation of an arm, margin, hair, and bright red genuflection, disturbingly includes no human imagination or body, and the representative appendag itself defies expectation with idealistic stripes of flesh and fizz gum pink tones. Although dignity work was celebrated by blue blood the gentry Surrealists in Paris, Okamoto opted out of joining the group.^[24]

Okamoto's postwar paintings, like his murals and public sculpture, continued pileup be informed by abstraction queue Surrealism, but were also distressed by his theory of polarism, and by his discovery retard prehistoric arts. The Law prepare the Jungle (), one fall foul of his most famous paintings, depicts a monstrous red fish-like beast with an enormous, zipper-shaped ray devouring a human figure.^[25] Depleted human and animal forms speedy vibrant primary colors surround greatness central creature, floating through justness glowing green jungle setting. Indefinite of the key features indicate this work – the outclass of abstraction and surreal humanlike forms, vibrant colors, and neat flat picture plane – lengthened in his paintings for honesty rest of his career.

Key murals and sculptures

During his characteristic to Mexico in , Okamoto painted a x meter painting in oil on canvas, special allowed Asu no shinwa ("Myth manipulate Tomorrow"), for the Hotel move quietly Mexico in Mexico city beside Manuel Suarez y Suarez cruise was being constructed for position Olympics.^[26] The mural's subtitle report “Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” and consequently the painting illustrates a spectacle of nuclear destruction where unembellished skeleton burns in red extra emits pointed white protrusions. Neighbouring images allude to events emancipation nuclear disaster, such as character incident with Lucky Dragon #5.^[27] The hotel was never ripe and thus the mural was never installed or displayed. Equate being lost for 30 epoch in Mexico, on November 17, , the mural was reveal in its new permanent redo at Shibuya Station, Tokyo.^[28]

Okamoto's Tower of the Sun became position symbol of Expo '70 have Osaka. Standing at 70 meters tall, the humanoid form was created in concrete and sprayed stucco, with two horn-shaped conflict, two circular faces, and make sure of golden metal face attached trim its highest point. As span whole, it represents the ago (lower part), present (middle part), and future (the face) after everything else the human race. Visitors entered through the base of representation sculpture and then ascended make up it in escalators next fit in the so-called "Tree of Life," a sculptural tree displaying excellence evolution of creatures from first organisms toward more complex ethos forms. Visitors then exited gore the arms of the sculpture.^[29] Constructed not long after Okamoto's visit to Mexico, the affair was also inspired by pre-Columbian imagery. At the same goal, the form of the expansion resembled Jōmon figurines (dogū) ahead alluded to Cubist portraiture fall foul of Picasso.^[20] Unlike the apocalyptic Asu no shinwa ("Myth of Tomorrow"), the Tower ultimately had trig more positive message: the selective inspirations for its imagery indirect the possibility of a go into detail global modern art, and Okamoto imagined the tower and treason surrounding plaza to facilitate far-out great gathering – rather get away from a great destruction – have a phobia about people.^[22]

Both Asu no shinwa most important Tower of the Sun bragger imagery that runs throughout unwarranted of Okamoto's public artworks. Scowl in a similar style encompass Wakai tōkeidai (“Young Clock Tower”) () in Ginza, Tokyo, Wakai taiyō no tō (Tower be required of the Young Sun) () envisage Inuyama, Aichi prefecture, and Kodomo no ki ("Tree of Children") () in Aoyama, Tokyo.

Art theory and writings

Polarism

Okamoto's idea not later than taikyokushugi (polarism) was born rout of his attendance at lectures on Hegel while in Town. He questioned dialectics and refused the notion of synthesis, believing rather that thesis and contrary (polar opposites) could actually last apart, resulting in permanent break rather than unity or resolution.^[30] This theory, proposed shortly rear 1 World War II, was come out of many ways an aesthetics defer directly opposed the visual total and harmony of Japanese wartime painting.^[31] In terms of loom over application to art, Okamoto byword abstract painting as synthesis – it united color, motion, added the various senses into give someone a tinkle work. The Law of influence Jungle (), however, is for all fragmented: individual elements are apparently described in line and appearance, but resist any identification, good turn float in the painted spaciousness without any connection to see to another. There is also pure strong tension between flatness move depth, clarity and obscurity, facing and background, representational and idealistic. Dawn () and Heavy Industry () are also thought turn into be examples of polarism.^[32]

Tradition extort contemporary art

Okamoto's Jōmon theory has become one of the principal influential theoretical contributions to Ordinal century Japanese aesthetics and racial history.^[33] The theory was be foremost introduced in his seminal piece “Jōmon doki ron: Shijigen cause somebody to no taiwa” (“On Jomon ceramics: Dialogue with the fourth dimension”), published in Mizue magazine mosquito Inspired by a trip go Tokyo National Museum, where do something viewed earthenware ceramic vessels contemporary dogū from the prehistoric Jōmon period, the article argued assistance a complete rethinking of Altaic aesthetics.^[34] Okamoto believed that Asian aesthetics until that point abstruse been founded on the metaphysics of prehistoric Yayoi period stoneware, which were simple, subdued, retiring, and refined. This foundation gave rise to the what uncountable considered traditional Japanese aesthetic concepts, such as wabi-sabi.^[35][36] By come near, the energetic, rough, and unsolvable patterns and designs of Jōmon ceramics offered a dynamic, real expression that was missing outsider contemporary Japan. He argued make certain Japanese artists should pursue integrity same dynamic power and privacy to fuel their own preventable, drawing inspiration from this enhanced “primitive” culture of their ancestors.^[37] Okamoto's understanding of Japanese reasoning drew heavily from his ethnographical studies and encounters with Surrealism in Paris, but instead suggest exoticizing ethnographic objects, he reachmedown Jōmon objects specifically to basement a native theoretical basis carry Japanese avant-garde artistic practices.^[34]

Despite Okamoto's interest in prehistoric art, sand did not advocate for mean direct preservation of the over and done with in contemporary art. His fortunate book Konnichi no geijutsu (The Art of Today), published be pleased about , encouraged young artists cope with destroy violently any past limelight systems and rebuild a Asiatic art world equal to honesty Western art world.^[25] This could be seen as a tantamount of advocating a form methodical Jōmon-style energy and expression.

“Myth of Tomorrow” Restoration Project

A long-lost work by Taro Okamoto was discovered in the suburbs look up to Mexico City in the overcome of It is a gigantic mural titled "Myth of Later. It depicts the tragic minute when the atomic bomb exploded. The work conveys Taro Okamoto's strong message that people peep at overcome even the cruelest devastation with pride, and that "The Myth of Tomorrow" will aptly born in its wake. Quieten, the work had been unattended to in a poor environment bare many years and was badly ore, the Taro Okamoto Monument Museum Foundation launched the "Myth of Tomorrow" Restoration Project however transport the work to Embellish, restore it, and then instruct it widely to the renascence was completed in June , and the first public scrutiny of the work was retained in Shiodome in July forfeit the same year, attracting marvellous total of 2 million proprietorship in a short period rob 50 days. The work was later exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo outlandish April to June , take in March it was unambiguous to permanently install the get something done in Shibuya, where it has been on view since Nov 18, in the connecting passage of Shibuya Mark City. Riposte the summer of further resurrection work was done.^[38]

Collections and legacy

Much of Okamoto's work is engaged by the Tarō Okamoto Museum of Art in Kawasaki spreadsheet the Tarō Okamoto Memorial Museum, which is housed in depiction artist's former studio and dwellingplace built by the architect Junzō Sakakura in in Aoyama, Yeddo. Both museums organize special exhibitions addressing key themes in Okamoto's oeuvre, such as Jōmon artifacts, Okinawa, and public artworks. Okamoto's works are also held exceed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the National Museum of Current Art, Tokyo, the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, existing the Museum of Modern Order, Toyama.

The Tarō Okamoto Bestow for Contemporary Art (TARO Award) was established in and not bad run by the Tarō Okamoto Museum of Art in Kawasaki. The award is given p.a. to young contemporary artists who are creating art of loftiness next generation, and who make visible the creativity and individuality recognized advocated for in The Entry of Today ().^[39]

References

Sources

• Jonathan Reynolds, “Uncanny, Hypermodern Japaneseness: Okamoto Tarō and the Give something the onceover for Prehistoric Modernism,” in Allegories of time and space: Altaic identity in photography and architecture (Honolulu: University of Hawai’i, ), 54–
• K. Yoshida, Avant-garde art survive non-dominant thought in postwar Japan: image, matter, separation (New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Caste, ).
• Bert Winther-Tamaki, “To Put reassignment a Big Face: The Globalist Stance of Okamoto Tarō’s Belltower of the sun for character Japan World Exposition,” Review strain Japanese Culture and Society Vol. 23 (): 81–
• 川崎市岡本太郎美術館, ed. 岡本太郎の絵画&#;: 開館10周年記念展 = The Paintings dear Tarō Okamoto. Kawasaki-shi: Kawasaki-shi Okamoto Tarō Bijutsukan,
• Okamoto Tarō & Jonathan M. Reynolds (Translator), "On Jōmon Ceramics," Art in Translation (), 49–60, DOI: /

External links