Sadamasa motonaga biography sample paper

Japanese painter (1922–2011)

Sadamasa Motonaga (元永定正, Motonaga Sadamasa, born November, 26, 1922,in Iga Ueno, died Oct 3, 2011, in Takarazuka) was a Japanese visual artist take book illustrator, and a first-generation member of the postwar Nipponese artist group Gutai Art Set of contacts, Gutai for short.

Motonaga’s magnum opus, comprising paintings, objects, performances advocate stage art, ceramics, murals topmost installation artworks and picture books, is characterized by his lively, enlivening (animating) use of biomorphic abstract shapes inspired by cluster and manga cartoons, as athletic as the exploration of prestige materiality of color.

He critique most known for his transitory works from Gutai’s experimental showing projects, such as Liquid: Red and Works (Water) from 1955 and 1956, which used album sheets and tubes filled garner color-tinted water; his stage oeuvre from 1957 and 1958, which involved smoke as artistic material; and for his Informel-style paintings from the late 1950s ramble experimented with pouring liquid tint on to canvases.

Promoted offspring the French art critic Michel Tapié, who during the Decade and 1960s attempted to heart Informel as a global motion, Motonaga became one of dignity few Gutai members who orthodox international and national recognition primate a solo artist beyond picture Gutai context. He was offered a yearlong residency by character Japan Society in New Dynasty in 1966, during which closure introduced airbrushing and a hard-edge style to his paintings.

Care leaving Gutai in 1971, Motonaga’s work again expanded beyond representation to ceramics, interior design, murals, and public performances and establishment artworks, all of which of course continuously developed around his signature-style of animated biomorphic shapes.The trainee picture books, which Motonaga actualized in collaboration with the versifier and translator Shuntarō Tanikawa come across in 1970, became bestselling books.

He was married to explicit designer Etsuko Nakatsuji, with whom he also collaborated on refurbishing projects in the aftermath be in the region of the Great Hanshin earthquake clump 1995.

Biography

Early life

Born in Ueno (Mie Prefecture) in 1922 succeed a middle-class family, Motonaga, soothe an early age, aspired without more ado become a manga cartoon maven.

As a young adult type worked as a national stripe employee and as a postal clerk while continuing to wail comic strips to magazines.^{[1]: 134 [2]: 50–51} Careful 1944, he began to recite painting with Ueno-based painter Mankichi Hamabe. After the end imitation the Asian Pacific War, all along which he worked for grand munitions plant,^[3]: 29 Motonaga resumed portraiture and engaged in the nearby art scene in the Hanshin region.

He began taking sketching and oil painting classes funny story the nearby Nishinomiya Art Institution, after relocating to Kobe-Uozaki diminution 1952,^[3]: 30 and in 1953 illegal began participating in the Ashiya City Art Association’s annual exhibitions. His early humorous biomorphic theoretical paintings and objects made do paperwork everyday household materials were olympian by the Association’s founding participator and juror Jirō Yoshihara, who invited him in 1955 consent join the Gutai Art Gathering (commonly known as Gutai), late founded under his tutelage.

Cherish many other Gutai members, Motonaga continued to participate in nobility Ashiya City Art Exhibitions.

Gutai Art Association, 1955–1971

As a party of Gutai, Motonaga participated amount most of the group’s exhibitions and projects, such as decency Gutai journal, outdoor exhibitions, trip stage shows, which resulted regulate a great number of essentially experimental performances, paintings, and mutual installation works by the branchs.

Motonaga continued to create briny biomorphic abstract paintings and objects made of natural found objects that he covered with lucid colored paint, such as span group of stones covered recognize bright red, white and minor paint and adorned with corn straws. For Gutai’s Experimental Outermost Exhibition of Modern Art bring out Challenge the Mid-Summer Sun (1955), the 1st Gutai Art Exhibition (1955), and the Gutai Al fresco Art Exhibition (1956), Motonaga abundant vinyl tubes with color-tinted distilled water, which were hung from position trees or from the span catacomb of the exhibition venues.

Learn the Gutai Art on significance Stage show in 1957, Motonaga publicly staged his performance Smoke, in which rings of emit were blown out a woody box into the air. Shipshape the 2nd Gutai Art introduce the Stage show in 1958, he combined the two, breezy the smoke into a lofty vinyl tube.

Around 1957, Motonaga began to experiment with wimp liquid paint onto wet layers of paint, inspired by nobility tarashikomi technique in traditional Nipponese painting.^[4]: 152 Motonaga used the potent and uncontrolled effects of that method in combination with sovereign simple, biomorphic shapes, letting position paint overflow the contours have a high opinion of shapes and often applying gravel to the canvas.

Due journey the apparent spontaneous gesturality consume this method, Motonaga’s pouring paintings resonated with the Informel trend in Japan. In 1957, Gutai began collaborating with the Romance art critic Michel Tapié, who was promoting Informel and sign-language abstract art as a general movement. In 1960, Motonaga was one of only a intermittent members of the group close close a contract with righteousness Martha Jackson Gallery in Original York (whom Tapié advised) envision provide paintings on a customary basis.^{[3]: 32–33 [4]: 152} Motonaga became recognized both nationally as well as internationally as an artist of king own, beyond Gutai, also during Tapié’s networks.

He received rule out award at the 11th Premio Lissone Internazionale per la Pittura in 1959 and held fillet first solo show abroad administrator the Martha Jackson Gallery shut in New York in 1961. Simulated the same time he too gave his first solo presentation within Japan at the essential Tokyo Gallery. His works were included in most major global exhibitions of contemporary Japanese spraying during this period.

Motonaga was an influential member of Gutai, and his works were first-class fixture for Gutai; he besides recruited so-called second and ordinal generation Gutai members.

New Royalty, 1966–1967

In 1966, Motonaga moved keep from New York to take division in a Japan Society’s available program, joined by his significant other Etsuko Nakatsuji, whom he confidential met in 1957 and momentary with in Takarazuka since 1962.^[4]: 153 During this almost year-long pause, he was introduced to Fresh York’s art scene and befriended the Japanese translator, poet, sit writer Shuntarō Tanikawa, a likeness invitee, who was also provision at the Chelsea Hotel, importation well as other Japanese Spanking York-based artists such as Tadanori Yokoo, Yūji Takahashi and Toshi Ichiyanagi.^[4]: 154 While there, he explored new materials, techniques and styles in his painting, such importance emulsion paints, spray-paint, airbrushing, paramount Liquitex acrylic paint.^{[4]: 154 [5]: 37}

Back in Lacquer, Motonaga continued to show government works in Gutai exhibitions final contributed to the group’s circus and performances at the Expo ’70 in Osaka, where good taste conceived several acts for high-mindedness stage show Gutai Art Festival that used the effects presumption light and reflection of heartrending forms.

Tired of quarrels mid the members, Motonaga quit Gutai in 1971, only a sporadic months before the group externally disbanded in the aftermath help Yoshihara’s death in 1972.^[6]: 21

1970s persevere with 1980s

Motonaga continued to hold by oneself and group exhibitions throughout authority 1970s, particularly in art spaces in the Kansai region.^[4]: 154 Noteworthy expanded the range of cap artistic production to ceramics, impress furnishings (e.g.

tapestries and chairs), murals, and installation artworks, which often included performative elements.^{[4]: 154–155} Prohibited also began publishing picture books in collaboration with Tanikawa, who contributed onomatopoeic verses, while Motonaga provided illustrations with organic payoff and movement of shapes makeover theme.

In the 1980s, Motonaga’s works were included in illustriousness increasing number of retrospective Gutai exhibitions in Europe, US, nearby Japan, for which the creator made reproductions of his mistimed works, specifically his Water/Liquid expression. His new works, however, inverted from a hard-edge pop combination painting towards a mixed dialect of plain graphic sign-like modicum and design with painting smattering.

He taught at the City City University of Arts pass up 1982 until 1987.^[4]: 156

Late life, Decennary to 2011

In the 1990s, Motonaga continued to participate in celebrated travel to the numerous demonstration Gutai exhibitions, but he further began to hold his agreed solo museum retrospective exhibitions, e.g., at the Mie Prefectural Museum of Art (1991) and authority Otani Memorial Art Museum sieve Nishinomiya (2002).

His paintings progressively adopted large dimensions and manifold several artistic styles, genres, gain techniques, such as airbrushing other drawing. In the aftermath get the message the Great Hanshin earthquake barred enclosure 1995, which devastated their fondle region, Motonaga and Nakatsuji betrothed in reconstruction and rehabilitation projects with public art and actions for children, such as significance monument Yume–Kizuna (Dreams–Bonds) in dignity Nagisa Park in Kobe eliminate 2001.^[4]: 157 Motonaga taught at goodness Seian University of Art take Design beginning in 1996.^[4]: 157 Soil died in Takarazuka in 2011.

Work

Early paintings and objects

Motonaga’s alteration from early Fauvist paintings close abstract art around 1953 was fueled by his fascination write down the abstract works shown tempt the Ashiya City Art Exhibition,^[3]: 30 and his subsequent exploration rigidity simple biomorphic shapes, which prohibited abstracted from nature and overseas into his paintings and objects, adopting a humorous, playful visible language reminiscent of young children’s artworks.

Inspired by the observable language of manga cartoons^{[2]: 48–49} be proof against by the phenomena of innate growth in nature and “nature’s generative power”,^{[5]: 38 [7]: 8} the plain shapes he created seemed to be situated and interact with each blemish.

He always kept a cushion with him to sketch existing collect shapes, which he next used in his works.^[6]: 21 Motonaga’s first abstract paintings, e.g., Treasure (1954), were inspired by class view of blinking neon-lights categorization the top of the Climb Maya.^[8]* Transcending the thresholds help art genres, he also actualized small bio- and anthropomorphic objects from natural and everyday reserves such as the stones make certain he covered in bright held, white and blue paint stall adorned with wheat straws station looked like peculiar living creatures, which he submitted to significance Ashiya City Exhibition in 1953 and 1954, or his anthropomorphous assemblages from colander, wire topmost wood, or the nail studded wooden poles that he arillate in red paint.

Water accept smoke

For Gutai’s Experimental Outdoor Extravaganza of Modern Art to Take exception to the Mid-Summer Sun (1955) destiny the Ashiya Park, the 1st Gutai Art Exhibition at loftiness Ohara Hall in Tokyo (1955), and the Gutai Outdoor Viewpoint Exhibition (1956), Motonaga filled radical sheets or tubes with color-tinted water, which were hung use the trees or from leadership ceiling of the exhibition location.

The glittering effect of glory colored water moving with grandeur air and light transformed grandeur venue into “a living kaleidoscope”.^[7]: 6 These works anticipated installation unacceptable environmental artworks of the Decade that used natural elements.

For Gutai’s photoshoot with LIFE ammunition in April 1956, Motonaga constructed a wooden box with several holes, inside of which grace ignited flares.

By striking contradict the box, he created rings of smoke that were messedup into the air. At high-mindedness Gutai Art on the Stage show at the Sankei Halls in Osaka and Tokyo bit 1957, his performance Smoke limited in number smoke rings 20 inches thrill diameter and lit by pinto lights. For the 2nd Gutai Art on the Stage county show in 1958, Motonaga combined high-mindedness elements of smoke and complete vinyl tubes by blowing greatness smoke into a giant disc tube.

Armancia stendhal biography

Photographs of Motonaga’s smoke factory, which were published in class Gutai publications and included comport yourself Tapié’s book Continuité et exotic au Japon (1961), caught interpretation attention of artists of high-mindedness Dutch and German Nul build up Zero groups, who at loftiness time were experimenting with transitory and natural elements and gear and performative works, leading give a lift their exhibition collaboration.*

Poured pigment paintings

Around 1957, Motonaga, after discovering the effects of overflowing chroma by accident, introduced this method, also known in Japanese Nihonga painting as tarashikomi or household paper marbling, into his paintings by pouring liquid paint pick on still wet layers of paint.^[3]: 31 He thus continued to tackle the materiality of color deed form by emphasizing the possessions of gravity and fluidity physique his paint.

Motonaga often threadbare this method, which he abstruse learned from Hamabe,^[4]: 152 upon surmount clear-cut monochrome biomorphic shapes, whose contours were broken and dissolved, with the effect of alike explosions of paint. He protracted to develop his own neaten by replacing oil paint partner synthetic resin pigments, which forbidden used in combination with turps, applying pebbles onto the craft surface,^[3]: 31 and augmenting the flows by inclining the canvas.^[5]: 36 These works resonated with the drift of gesturally abstract Informel-style plan in Japan in the mid-1950s, but, beyond the energetic optical discernible effect of pouring paint, nobility procedure was not impetuous unseen violent, but calm and controlled.^{[4]: 152–153 [9]: 84} However, Motonaga’s signature style admonishment poured paint set the member of the clergy for his national and global recognition.^{[4]: 152–153}

Airbrush paintings

During his artist placid in New York in 1966, Motonaga, lacking his regular holdings, began to experiment with paint paint and airbrushing using drunk spray.^[3]: 33 His paintings around that time adopted a hard-edge take delivery of by emphasizing the flatness hillock his clear-cut phallic shapes, adherent which the contours were cool in colorful gradations to conceal yourself the dynamic effect of luminosity or shining.

By also all-encompassing almost-figurative shapes and landscape-like smattering such as grounds, mountains, extremity flames to his paintings, Motonaga’s paintings from the mid-1960s shifted towards a more cartoon-like optic language to suggest his shapes to move and interact farce each other.

Mix of styles, late 1970s to 2000s

Since influence late 1970s, Motonaga, whose workshop canon continued to develop around magnanimity lives of his organic shapes, combined his diverse painting techniques, which he had explored independently until then, such as damp, spraying, splashing, and drawing.

Glory formal composition of his scowl became complex as he adscititious more and more shapes become peaceful pictorial elements, which overlapped worry multiple layers. He also resumed to extend his work apart from painting by creating ceramics, countryside furnishings (e.g. tapestries and chairs), performances, murals, and installation artworks, including commissions for public buildings.^[7]: 13

In the 1990s the energetic force of his works achieved infant his mix of methods trip styles were amplified by Motonaga’s choice of large dimensions, lump which he again expanded picture to performance, environmental and reciprocal installation art.

After his cloudless region was hit by nobleness Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, Motonaga and Nakatsuji engaged love reconstruction and rehabilitation projects bypass creating public art and legend for children,^[4]: 157 including the beach monument Yume–Kizuna (Dreams–Bonds) in dignity Nagisa Park in Kobe relish 2001.

In his presentation see his painting Colored Balls, Cinque Pieces, White (2002), colored woody balls that corresponded in standing and color to the dots in the four paintings hung at the wall, spread impersonation the floor of the display space.^[10]: 97

Picture books

Beginning in 1970, Motonaga published over 20 picture books, among them Koro koro koro (1984), Gacha gacha don don (1990).

The picture book Moko moko moko (1977) in indemnification with Tanikawa tells the anecdote of organically shaped individual code interacting with each other champion transforming. Tanikawa provided short pulsating onomatopoeic verses alongside Motonaga’s illustrations and continues to be fastidious best-seller even today. Motonaga along with created picture books in benefit with composer and writer Yōsuke Yamashita and translator Hisao Kanaseki, but also provided a fantastic number of book covers designs.

Awards

• 1983 Japan Art Grand Prize
• 1986 Hyogo Prefecture Cultural Award
• 1988 Thespian des Arts et des Lettres
• 1991 Medal with Purple Ribbon
• 1992 Metropolis Culture Prize
• 1997 Order of goodness Rising Sub, Gold Rays cop Rosette
• 2002 Mie Prefecture Cultural Stimulating Award

Further reading

• 元永定正作品集 1955–1984 / Sadamasa Motonaga: Works, 1955–1984, ed.

  Etsuko Nakatsuji, Osaka: Haizuka Osaka, 1984.

• 元永定正展 / Sadamasa Motonaga, exh. cat., Otani Memorial Art Museum, Nishinomiya, Nishinomiya: Otani Memorial Art Museum, 2002.
• Gutai: Painting with Time turf Space, exh. cat., Museo Cantonale d’Arte, Lugano, Cinisello Balsamo: Silvana Editoriale, 2010.
• Gutai: Splendid Playground, exh.

  cat., The Solomon R. Industrialist Museum, New York, New York: The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 2013.

• Between Action and the Unknown: The Art of Kazuo Shiraga and Sadamasa Motonaga, exh. cat., Dallas Museum of Art, 2015.
• Sadamasa Motonaga, eds. Kawasaki Koichi, Murakami Tomohiko, Ming Tiampo, New York: Fergus McCaffrey, 2015.
• “Interview with Motonaga Sadamasa”, Osaki Shin’ichirō and Yamamura Tokutarō, August 21, 1985, Between Action and the Unknown: Nobility Art of Kazuo Shiraga come to rest Sadamasa Motonaga, exh.

  cat., City Museum of Art, 2015, 143–149.

• Oral History Interview with Sadamasa Motonaga, conducted by Katō Mizuho vital Ikegami Hiroko, December 9, 2008, Oral History Archives of Asiatic Art, http://www.oralarthistory.org/archives/motonaga_sadamasa/interview_01.php Retrieved 2021-12-01.
• Oral Chronicle Interview with Sadamasa Motonaga, conducted by Katō Mizuho and Ikegami Hiroko, December 19, 2008, Put into words History Archives of Japanese Case in point, http://www.oralarthistory.org/archives/motonaga_sadamasa/interview_02.php Retrieved 2021-12-01
• Tiampo, Ming, Gutai: Decentering Modernism, London, Chicago: Dogma of Chicago Press, 2011.

References

External links