Gutai: Splendid Playground

PublishedinconjunctionwiththefirstUnitedStatesmuseumretrospectiveeverdevotedtoGutai,exhibitedattheSolomonR.GuggenheimMuseuminNewYork,Gutai:SplendidPlaygroundsurveystheinfluentialcollectiveandartisticmovement.Thisexhibitioncatalogueaimstodemonstratetherangeofboldandinnovativecreativitypresentintheavant-gardemovement,toexaminetheaestheticstrategiesinthecultural,social,andpoliticalcontextofpostwarJapanandtheWest,andtofurtherestablishGutaiinanexpanded,transnationalhistoryandcriticaldiscourseofmodernart.OrganizedthematicallyandchronologicallytoexploreGutaisuniqueapproachtomaterials,processandperformativity,thispublicationinvestigatesthegroupsradicalexperimentationacrossarangeofmediaandstyles,anddemonstrateshowindividualartistspushedthelimitsofwhatartcouldbeormeaninapost-atomicera.Therangeincludespainting(gesturalabstractionandpost-constructivistabstraction),conceptualart,experimentalperformanceandfilm,indoorandoutdoorinstallationart,soundart,mailart,interactiveorplayfulart,lightartandkineticart.IllustratingbothiconicGutaiandlesser-knownworks,thiscataloguepresentsarichsurveyreflectingnewscholarship,especiallyonso-calledlateGutaiworksdatingfrom1965to1972.