History of Japanese Art After 1945 - by Noriaki Kitazawa & Takemi Kuresawa & Yuri Mitsuda (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

History of Japanese Art after 1945 is a compilation of essays that surveys the development of art in Japan since WWII. The original Japanese work, which has become essential reading for those with an interest in modern and contemporary Japanese art and is a foundational resource for students and researchers, spans a period of 150 years, from the 1850s to the 2010s. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific period and written by a specialist.

The English edition first discusses the formation and evolution of Japanese contemporary art from 1945 to the late 1970s, subsequently deals with the rise of the fine art museum from the late 1970s to the 1990s, and concludes with an overview of contemporary Japanese art dating from the 1990s to the 2010s.

These three parts are preceded by a new introduction that contextualizes both the original Japanese and the English editions and introduces the reader to the emergence of the concept of art (bijutsu) in modern Japan. This English-language edition provides valuable reading material that offers a deeper insight into contemporary Japanese art.

Contributors: Kitazawa Noriaki (editor), Mori Hitoshi (editor), Sato Doushin (editor), Tom Kain (translation editor), Alice Kiwako Ashiwa (translator), Kenneth Masaki Shima (translator), Ariel Acosta (translator) and Sara Sumpter (translator)

Translated from the original Japanese edition published with Tokyo Bijutsu, 2014
In cooperation with Art Platform Japan / The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan
Art Platform Japan is an initiative by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, to maintain the sustainable development of the contemporary art scene in Japan.

Review Quotes

'Anarchy of the Body' is cited in 'History of Japanese Art After 1945', particularly in the third section of the work where Kuresawa Takemi, professor at the Tokyo University of Technology, discusses the postmodern turn of contemporary Japanese art from 1990 to 2010: Kuresawa goes on to list a number of exhibitions and studies that give insight into the sometimes scattered influence of the 1960s on contemporary Japanese art in the 1990s and beyond. KuraDalaiJee's work is considered here as a 'masterpiece' that deals, not only with the major figures of performance (such as Hi-Red Center), but also with artists and collectives of lesser fame.
Alexandre Taalba, Chokusetsu kōdō l'action directe comme méthode artistique au Japon, Critique d'art, 60 2023, 80-90, https: //journals.openedition.org/critiquedart/104361

About the Author

Kitazawa Noriaki is guest professor at Musashino Art University in Tokyo.

Kuresawa Takemi is professor at Tokyo University of Technology.

Mitsuda Yuri is professor at Tama Art University in Tokyo.

Kajiya Kenji is professor at the University of Tokyo, and a committee member of Art Platform Japan.