¡°Letters to Tadanori Yokoo¡±
Writer Profile
Tadayasu Sakai
Other : Director of Setagaya Art MuseumÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ alumni
Tadayasu Sakai
Other : Director of Setagaya Art MuseumÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ alumni
This book is a collection of essays and dialogues I have written about Tadanori Yokoo.
The earliest piece is a catalog text for a two-person exhibition with American painter Paul Davis (2001), while the most recent is an essay touching on the strange connection between Mr. Yokoo and Renzaburo Shibata¡ªknown as "Shibaren," who took the world by storm with the historical novel series "Nemuri Kyoshiro" (2019). All of these were written upon request, appearing in different media with varying themes and manuscript lengths.
Looking back, I feel as though I was painting a portrait of this artist each time. It may sound strange to say so myself, but while the dimensions differ, the painting style is unmistakably mine; rather than formal portraits, they capture the artist in his everyday attire. None of them were intended to be elaborate, realistic oil paintings, but rather something closer to sketches.
However, Mr. Yokoo is an artist who, even now, continues to emit plumes of smoke like an active volcano. Therefore, he must have a vivid and lively expression¡ªwith that intention in mind, I responded to the commissions.
Since I had accumulated a fair number of works (manuscripts), I gained the opportunity for publication as if I were holding a solo exhibition. Fortunately, we were able to include Mr. Yokoo's works as illustrations, making it visually enjoyable as well. Additionally, since there was a relatively long dialogue, I decided to transcribe and include it so that readers could understand the artist's own thoughts. In that sense, I would be happy if this could be understood as a somewhat whimsical form of author study.
In fact, Mr. Yokoo is a truly versatile person. He paints, creates prints and posters, and sometimes even writes novels. In between, he gives lectures and appears on television, and then, as if to strongly remind himself that he is indeed a painter, he forces himself to engage in public painting sessions. It is no exaggeration to say that this book is an inquiry into where such creative energy originates, combined with the artist's way of life.
The reason I included "Letters" in the title is that, in addition to letters addressed to the artist, there were several essays written in the form of letters.
Tadayasu Sakai
Mitsumura Tosho Publishing
160 pages, 2,000 yen (excluding tax)
*Affiliations and titles are as of the time of publication.