Artist Highlight: Keiichi Tanaami
Ann Adachi-Tasch
In 2018, CCJ organized a Collection Survey trip to Tokyo to research the collection of artist Keiichi Tanaami. Led by researcher Julian Ross and archivist John Klacsmann, the project eventually led to the preservation of Tanaami’s work, Human Events (1975).
The archival outcomes were donated to The Museum of Modern Art, and we are pleased to present the films as an installation in the upcoming exhibition at Pioneer Works, More Than Cinema: Motoharu Jonouchi and Keiichi Tanaami, opening on March 6th, 2020.
Details on the research, including the report and interview with Tanaami are accessible below.
During the 2018 CCJ Collection Survey of Keiichi Tanaami collection, researcher Julian Ross conducted an interview with the artist to learn about his expanded cinema works, the context for creating those works, and his views on presenting them today.
2018年に行った田名網敬一氏の映像コレクション・サーベー調査の際、研究者ジュリアン・ロス氏インタビューを行いました。現在ロス氏が進めているエクスパンデッド・シネマに関して、当時の様子や今日の展覧についてなど伺いました。
Tanaami Keiichi (b. 1936, Tokyo) is an artist, graphic designer and animation filmmaker. While still a student at the Mushashino Art University, his career took off when he received a special selection award at the 1958 Japan Advertising Art Exhibition. He participated in the Animation Festival at Sogetsu Art Center in 1965 and 1966, after which his animation works frequently screened at international film festivals such as International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, New York Film Festival and Ottawa International Animation Festival. Tanaami became known as a leading figure of pop art and psychedelic art in Japan as his print-based, sculptural works and films grew increasingly popular in the 1960-70s. Designing record covers, posters, and taking on the role of Art Director for the Japanese edition of PLAYBOY in 1975, he often bridged commercial work and art practice ––it was just as likely to see his work on a magazine cover as an art exhibition. Now represented by NANZUKA, his career continues to be as prolific as ever with works exhibited recently at Walker Art Center, Museum of Modern Art (New York), Hamburger Bahnhof, and Tate Modern.