古田土雅堂
Gado Kotato (T.K. Gado) Fig. 25. T.K.Gado, “Communication in the Under Surface”Fig. 13. T.K.Gado, “Rush Hour in Subway” Fig. 14. T.K. Gado, “An Accident “Fig. 15. T.K. Gado, “The Traffic”Fig. 17. T.K. Gado, “The Ball”Fig. 20. T.K. Gado, “An Infant” Fig. 21. T.K.Gado, “Block Party”Fig. 24. T.K. Gado, “Ambulance” Previous slide Next slide Among the Japanese artists who attracted the attention of the Society of Independent Artists and the Salons of America in the early 1920s were Gado Kotato (T.K. Gado) and Toshi Shimizu. In 1918, the First World War finally ended after raging in Europe for nearly four years. At the same time, Modernist movements, such as Futurism and […]
臼井文平
Bumpei Usui Fig. 36. Bumpei Usui, “Rooftop Party (Summer Evening)” Fig. 47. Bumpei Usui, “Ukulele” Fig. 51. Bumpei Usui, “Catalogue” Fig. 50. Bumpei Usui, “Sunday Afternoon” Fig. 134. Bumpei Usui, “Siesta” Previous slide Next slide After traveling around the world with his brother, a furniture dealer, he arrived in London in 1917, where he was commissioned to decorate furniture in the East Asian style. On his way back to Japan, he stopped in New York, fell in love with the area, and settled there. Usui exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists from 1924 to 1931, and at the Salons of America from 1924 to 1926 and 1928 to 1932, […]
June 1936 The First Competitive Exhibition organized by the American Artists’ Congress
June 1936 The First Competitive Exhibition organized by the American Artists’ Congress Fig. 101. Sakari Suzuki, “Of Her Past” The first exhibition, held to discover new artists, received over 200 submissions, and the jury members Max Weber, Stuart Davis, Hugo Gellert, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi selected the following work, “Of Her Past” (fig. 101) by Sakari Suzuki. As part of the award, Sakari Suzuki had a solo exhibition of 21 works at the ACA Gallery from November 15-29, 1936. Eitaro Ishigaki commented: “The bold abstract composition, fresh, intense colors, and extreme contrasts of light and shadow all have a modern feel. The artist’s unique technique is recognizable as he makes considerable […]
December 1937 Exhibition of In Defense of World Democracy: Dedicated to the People of Spain
December 1937 Exhibition of In Defense of World Democracy: Dedicated to the People of Spain Fig. 107. Eitaro Ishigaki, “Flight”Fig. 108. Chuzo Tamotzu, “Militarism Over Japan”Fig. 109. Sakari Suzuki, “War” Previous slide Next slide Japanese artists who were active in the United States had gained recognition in the art world. However, their position became increasingly tenuous in the U.S. as tensions rose in Japan and in other countries over Japan’s invasion of China. At the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in July 1937, President Roosevelt’s call for the isolation of the aggressor nations had a souring effect on relations between the two countries. Following the speech, Japan declined to participate […]
September 1937 Exhibition of Asian Artists Excluded from the WPA
September 1937Exhibition of Asian Artists Excluded from the WPA September 1937Exhibition of Asian Artists Excluded from the WPA September 1937 Exhibition of Asian Artists Excluded from the WPA Fig. 104. Eitaro Ishigaki, “K.K.K.”Fig. 105. Chuzo Tamotsu, “Fire Trap”Fig. 106. Roy Kadowaki, “George Washington Bridge” Previous slide Next slide In addition to the large annual exhibitions, which were a prestigious event for artists, the American Artists’ Congress also held special exhibitions. Among these special exhibitions, “Paintings by New York Chinese Japanese Artists” in September 1937 and “An Exhibition in Defense of World Democracy, Dedicated to the People of Spain and China” in December 1937 prominently displayed the works of Japanese artists. […]
1945 Outbreak of War between Japan and the U.S.
1945 The U.S.-Japan War and Activism through Art Fig. 124. Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “Water Torture”Fig. 125: Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “The Killer”Fig. 126. Yauso Kuniyoshi “Eradicate the Enemy: Buy Wartime Bonds!”Fig. 127. Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “Clean Up This Mess!”Fig. 128. Chuzo Tamotsu, “Map of China Cut into Pieces.”Fig. 129. Yasuo Kuniyoshi, “”Victims of MilitarismFig. 130. Chuzo Tamotsu, Tanks and SoldiersFig. 131. Chuzo Tamotsu, “Dilemma”Fig. 132. Toshi Shimizu, ChargeFig. 133. Toshi Shimizu, “Machine Guns” Previous slide Next slide In the 1930s, Japanese artists in New York who lacked citizenship spoke out against the war through their creative output. However, their message went unheard. On December 7th, 1941 (December 8th in Japan), war broke out between […]
1936-1941 American Artists’ Congress and the Municipal Art Committee
1936-1941 American Artists’ Congress and Exhibition of the Municipal Art Committee Exhibits Fig. 101. Sakari Suzuki, “Of Her Past” In response to the growing labor movement in New York City during the Great Depression and concerns about the spread of fascism in Europe, some artist’s art began to critique social issues. In November 1929, these liberal-minded writers and artists formed the John Reed Club. In February 1936, members of the John Reed Club organized the American Artists’ Congress “Anti-War, Anti-Fascism, and the Defense of Culture” as its slogan. By 1941, the American Artists’ Congress held 22 exhibitions including an annual exhibition and special shows. NEXT > VISIT Exhibition 1936-1940 June […]
世界恐慌とニューディール政策
The Great Depression and the New Deal Fig. 78. Sakari Suzuki, “Preventive Medicine.” Mori Suzuki created a mural at Willard Parker Hospital on the theme of the history of the fight against infectious diseases, featuring Louis Pasteur, Edward Jenner, and Hideyo Noguchi. In the fall of 1929, the New York stock market crashed, ushering in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Galleries closed, painters lost patrons and museum support, and life was complicated. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the New Deal to alleviate economic conditions, which included employment programs for the arts. The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), a six-month government employment program, was launched in 1933 and […]
1927, 1935, 1936 The New York Shimpo and the Japanese Artists Exhibition
1927, 1935, 1936 The New York Shimpo and the Japanese Artists Exhibition Fig. 52. A Group Photograph taken at a Japanese exhibition in 1927. Kuniyoshi Yasuo is in the center, Hamachi Kiyomatsu is second from the left in the front row, and Eitaro Ishigaki is third from the left in the back row. Bumpei Usui’s “Furniture Factory” is on the far left, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s “Two Women” displayed beside it on the wall. In New York City in the 1920s, Japanese artists showed their works at exhibitions held by the Society of Independent Artists and the Salons of America. Meanwhile, the artists of the Gacho-kai continued to interact with each […]
1920s The Salons of America and the Society of Independent Artists Exhibition
1920s The Salons of America and the Society of Independent Artists Exhibition Fig. 11. Photos of the Salons of America, exhibition venue In the 1920s, the United States enjoyed a post-first World War economic boom. The streets were filled with flappers, women with short skirts and bobbed hair, and popular culture, such as radio, movies, and dance halls, was in full swing. The art world was seeking a uniquely American art style, influenced by modernism rather than the European realistic techniques of the Academy School. The exhibition of “The Eight” was held at the Macbeth Gallery in 1908. The works of John Sloan and Robert Henry, known as the “Ashcan […]
