Amidst the profound social change and political turmoil of 1960s post-war Japan, a bold generation of avant-garde artists emerged, redefining the boundaries of art and pioneering many disciplines.
- This included experimental and erotic photography, “Angura” theatre.
- Underground street performances.
- Surreal illustrations and seminal graphic design.
- Moriyama Daidō and the Provoke magazine photographers pioneered “Are, Bure, Boke” (rough, dark and out of focus.
- Araki beautified bondage and Hosoe Eikoh sublimated the male body.
- Ishiuchi Miyako captured her experience of American military bases.
- Kawada Kikuji’s era-defining photobook The Map captured the poignancy of Hiroshima’s trauma.
- Master of underground theatre Terayama Shūji produced countless magical, surreal and vividly colourful films, plays and photobooks.
- Yokoo Tadanori and Awazu Kiyoshi revolutionised graphic design with their incandescent theatre posters.
- Tanaami Keiichi, Japan’s answer to Andy Warhol, developed his unique kaleidoscopic vision of Pop-Art.
- Butoh founders Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo impacted modern dance forever with their dance of darkness and light.
See all this and more at one of our limited screenings of Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers at Dendy Cinemas Portside 17, 18 & 21 May.
Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers
17 – 21 May 2025
Dendy Portside
www.dendy.com.au
