Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers

The 1960s in Japan was a time of profound social change, riven by political unrest and student protests. Those turbulent times inspired an artistic explosion in Japan, with the emergence of a revolutionary scene of avant-garde artists who pioneered experimental and erotic photography, “Angura” theatre and underground street performances, apocalyptic Butoh dance, surreal illustrations, and seminal graphic design. A new aesthetic of photography was born, rough, dark and out of focus, featuring controversial and provocative images of bondage and the male body. Photographer Ishiuchi Miyako captured her experience of American military bases. Kawada Kikuji’s captured the poignancy of Hiroshima’s trauma. It was all far from the stultifying pre-war society that had previously strangled radical ideas of art and culture with a ceaseless deference to tradition and duty. 

Underground theatre director Terayama Shuji produced reams of magical, surreal and vividly colourful films, plays and photobooks. Yokoo Tadanori and Awazu Kioshi revolutionised graphic design with their incandescent theatre posters. Tanaami Keiichi (effectively, Japan’s Andy Warhol), developed a uniquely variegated vision of Pop-Art. Butoh founders Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo revolutionised modern dance forever with their dances of darkness and light. 

This rich and kaleidscopic tapestry of art is revealed in a new film, 'Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers', due to screen in spring next year and featuring many of Japan's pioneering artists including; Araki Nobuyoshi, Moriyama Daido, Hosoe Eikoh, Ishiuchi Miyako, Tanaami Keiichi, Yokoo Tadanori, Mishima Yukio, Hijikata Tatsumi, Ohno Kazuo, Terayama Shurji and Kawada Kikuji. Directed by Amélie Ravalec, previously responsible for ' Art & Mind', 'Industrial Soundtrack For The Urban Decay', and 'Paris/Berlin: 20 Years of Underground Techno', the film's trailer offers a tantalising flavour of what is to come (as is the job of a trailer), teasing you to grab your attention (which it does).  We will take a closer look at this when it comes out, but this film will certainly open a door to a 20th century art scene like no other, and I'm already impatient to see it.

Header image: Screen grab from YouTube trailer