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➤Takesada MATSUTANI_書體 94-6-20_Mixed media on canvas_120 x 93.5 cm_1994
➤Takesada MATSUTANI_無題_Vinyl adhesive, graphite pencil, and Japanese paper mounted on paper_Image 40.7 x 31 x 2.5 cm_Frame 55 x 45 cm_1982
Takesada MATSUTANI
The grand finale exhibition of AKI Gallery in 2024 is coming soon, featuring Takesada MATSUTANI, one of the most prominent figure of the renowned post-war Japanese avant-garde art group "Gutai." The exhibition will showcase masterpieces by the legendary artist from 1982 to 2000, offering a glimpse into his creative evolution. MATSUTANI, regarded as an leading character in contemporary art history, has been devoted to his artistic creation spanning half a century.
➤Takesada MATSUTANI_futatsu no katachi (Two shapes)_Vinyl adhesive, Graphite pencil, and Japanese paper on canvas_30 x 25 cm_1989
Founded in 1954, "Gutai" rose to international prominence under the powerful leadership of its founder, Jiro YOSHIHARA. As a second-generation core member, MATSUTANI inherited Gutai's free-spirited philosophy of "creating unprecedented innovations." His diverse creative forms revolve around a powerful central axis, continuously evolving, transforming his life and art into an even more extreme existence.
➤Takesada MATSUTANI_Stream 91-1-3_Vinyl adhesive, graphite, Japanese paper on canvas_Image 92 x 73 cm_Frame 107 x 88 cm_1991
A New Vision of "Black"
In the early stages of his creative journey, MATSUTANI primarily used post-war industrial materials, particularly "vinyl glue" as his artistic language. He would pour vinyl glue onto a canvas, flip it upside down, and let it dry naturally, forming unique, swollen spheres and creating ruptures on the canvas that resembled organs. Starting in the 1980s, MATSUTANI continued to work with vinyl glue, a signature medium from his GUTAI art period. He carefully controlled its flow while subtly added repeated, continuous brushstrokes using "black graphite," along with techniques like fans and breath-blowing, to create protrusions, wrinkles, and cracks on the surface. The artist's organic use of raw materials reached its peak, continually breaking through the limitations of spatial concepts and exploring the extreme possibilities of painting space, thus opening up new imaginative possibilities between the flat and the three-dimensional.
➤Takesada MATSUTANI_Cercle 16-2_Etching, burin, aquatint_Image 90 x 63 cm_Frame 98.5 x 70 cm_2016_ed.8-20
➤ Takesada MATSUTANI_Cercle 16-3_Etching, burin, aquatint_Image 90 x 63 cm_Frame 98.5 x 70 cm_ 2016_ed.8-20
From the East to the West, MATSUTANI's creative journey transcends cultural and geographical distances, embodying an endless exploration of life. From December 21, 2024, to January 25, 2025, we invite you to visit AKI Gallery and experience the profound and powerful artistic impact of Gutai.
