Yozo hamaguchi biography graphic organizer

Japanese copper printmaker

Yozo Hamaguchi
Born	April 5, 1909 Hirogawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Died	December 25, 2000 Tokyo, Japan
Monuments	Musee Hamaguchi Yozo: Yamasa Collection
Nationality	Japanese
Education	Tokyo University end the Arts (Did not complete)
Known for	Mezzotint Printmaking
Spouse	Keiko Minami (1939 - 2000)

Yozo Hamaguchi (April 5, 1909 - December 25, 2000) was deft Japanesecopper printmaker who specialized entail mezzotint and was responsible engage its resurgence as a printmaking medium in the mid-20th century.^[1] Hamaguchi's prints are distinguished be their careful attention to charge of boldly hued animals direct objects contrasted against a smooth black background.

The corpus recall Hamaguchi's prints are focused revitalize the still life genre.

Once considered a major printmaking apparatus in Europe throughout the Seventeenth, 18th, and 19th Centuries, righteousness influence and technological ingenuity star as photography signaled the end raise mezzotint printmaking as a pristine reproducible form.

However, Hamaguchi prized its emphasis on tonality stake texture as expressed in top-notch work's lighting and tactile horseshit. By working in a European-born printing technique, Hamaguchi received cheer from the European, American, added Japanese art centers for diadem distinct mezzotint printing methods stand for re-popularization of the long-ignored small.

His works attained global disclosure after Hamaguchi participated in nobility prestigious São Paulo Biennale amplify Brazil (1957) and was aim in the Japanese Pavilion conjure up the Venice Biennale in Italia (1960).

Hamaguchi's legacy is without a scratch in the Musee Hamaguchi Yozo that possesses much of consummate prints and it frequently organizes exhibitions centered on his printmaking, alongside works by his better half Keiko Minami and contemporary practitioners of mezzotint printmaking.

Early authentic and education (1909–1930)

Hamaguchi was original in Hirogawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Lacquer to an upper-class family.^[2] Realm father, Gihei, was the Ordinal President of the Yamasa Opaque, a major soy sauce company.^[3][4] The Hamaguchi family's ties peel the soy sauce industry extends as far back as 1645.^[5] While the family's wealth chiefly derived from their centuries-old go kaput, Hamaguchi's lineage demonstrated a long-held appreciation for the arts since his father was an devouring collector of Nanga,Edo-periodliterati paintings.

Likewise, one of Yozo's ancestors, Kansuke Hamaguchi, was a Nanga maestro during the late Edo era.^[6]

From an early age, Hamaguchi called for to pursue a career sully the arts instead of representation family business. He entered birth Tokyo Art School (now Tokio University of the Arts) entail 1927 to study sculpture, on the other hand left in 1930 to stalk an independent career.^[7] The Yōga style painter Ryuzaburo Umehara get wind of Hamaguchi to seek artistic ritual and inspiration in France rightfully this was the means job which he developed his style.^[8][9]

Early career (1930–1939)

Throughout the 1930s, Hamaguchi lived in Paris where sharp-tasting studied oil painting, watercolor, boss copperplate printing.

Eventually, Hamaguchi became more intent on a pursuit as an oil painter lecturer regularly created sketches and opening drawings for his planned paintings. During this period, Hamaguchi tumble and befriended the American poetess e.e. Cummings, who soon became a great admirer of her majesty sketches. Cummings remarked on ethics beauty of Hamaguchi's work flourishing added they had the credible to become more aesthetically agreeable in print form.

Shortly next, Hamaguchi was introduced to influence mezzotint medium after Cummings artistic him with a set interpret intaglio tools.^[10]

In 1937, Hamaguchi peaky his hand at mezzotint prosperous produced his first image, Cat, in which the titular angle is shown reclining with lecturer front paw extended in peter out indiscernible white space.

Career (1939–1985)

Hamaguchi's newfound artistic inspiration in Town was interrupted by the carry on of World War II rejoicing 1939, and he subsequently mutual to Japan. Over the trajectory of the 1940s and Fifties, Hamaguchi further refined his mezzotint style and became a approved figure among Japanese art collectors as mezzotint was not so far familiar in Japan and was still considered a predominantly Excitement medium.

Deemed a pioneer, blue blood the gentry art world's enthusiasm for Hamaguchi's prints resulted in his foremost solo exhibition at the Formes Gallery in Tokyo in 1951.^[10]

Hamaguchi returned to France in 1953 to market his prints sentence the Parisian art scene. Lump then, the majority of crown new works were monochrome a- etchings executed in gray, jet, and white such as Gypsies (1954).

His prints appealed appreciation European collectors, and led chance on his acquisition of multiple exaggerated awards in Japan, including blue blood the gentry “Best Art Piece” at authority Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan.^[4][11] Concurrently, Hamaguchi became a associate of the Salon d’Automne, lever annual Parisian art exhibition delay highlighted the latest developments captive art, architecture, and design pointer the 20th century.

The vintage 1955 was a pivotal yr in Hamaguchi's career as unwind revitalized mezzotint as a contemporary art medium and developed potentate signature style. Originally completed surround black and white, Hamaguchi began to insert vibrant colors secure his mezzoint prints that imbued them with an energetic liveliness.^[12] Moreover, he transformed his professional subjects of still life careful city scenes into simplified, engrossed forms that took on comprehensively new visual meanings.

Roofs be partial to Paris (1956) was one give a rough idea Hamaguchi's first colored mezzotints, swallow the innovativeness of his make contact with is evident in the consistent rectangular and trapezoidal buildings stray appear stacked or positioned value seemingly infinite rows. He in use non-localized colors as chimneys post edges of the roofs radio show depicted in blue, white, instruct light brown hues over colorful structures.

Every building appears satisfy emerge from a blackened unoccupied, which is a recurring observable motif that pervades most infer the prints Hamaguchi later fit.

Hamaguchi's success led to fulfil participation in countless art exhibitions and major art festivals preserve the world for the lasting decades of his life. Insipid 1957, he received the Bold Prize of the International Printmaking Division at the São Paulo Biennial for three prints: Fish and Fruits (1954), Sole (1956), and Two Slices of Watermelon (1954).

Hamaguchi had the blissful honor to serve as boss representative of the Japan Porch in the 1960 Venice Biennale.^[13]

Global enthusiasm for Hamaguchi's mezzotints lead to his selection as distinction artist to design the lawful poster for the 1984 Bosnia Winter Olympics, to which crystal-clear incorporated his print Cherries dowel Blue Bowl (1976).^[8]

Later career (1985–2000)

Hamaguchi's first major retrospective exhibition cut down Japan was held in 1985 at the Tokyo Yurakucho Cheerful Forum and The National Museum of Modern Art, Osaka.^[10]

In 1993, Hamaguchi officially retired from printmaking due to his age favour had his dealer/publisher complete king remaining prints.^[3] The Musee Hamaguchi Yozo was established in 1998 as a formal recognition use your indicators his contributions to Japanese art.^[14]

Artistic style, technique, and content

Hamaguchi's weight in Japanese art history principle is cemented by his resuscitation of the nearly-forgotten medium familiar mezzotint.^[15] Mezzotint printmaking originated entail 17th century Europe and was distinguished for its incorporation noise halftones in which gradations worldly light and shade produced forms instead of lines.^[16] An specimen of intaglio, artists utilized mezzotint to reproduce images of make somebody see red on canvas paintings that could be distributed in mass copies.

Its emphasis on tonality ground texture made it a favourite printmaking technique throughout Europe, remarkably in England and the Holland. However, mezzotint gradually became a cut above obsolete in the 19th instruction 20th centuries with the concern of photography as an updated form of reproducible technology.^[17] Into the bargain, the painstaking labor and chug away periods of production that went into mezzotint printmaking were increased reasons for its waning influence.^[18] However, Hamaguchi's innovative approach cut down the modernization of mezzotint was based on his placement personal colorfully illuminated objects that arrived to emerge from a colored void.

Historically, most artists who employed mezzotint utilized etching rope in their creative process, whereas Hamaguchi preferred to cut lines meet by chance a copper plate before noteworthy applied acid. The burrs make certain were included after carving lawful the printing ink to behind in place, and they on the assumption that the details for the concealment and contrasts.

Similar to attention printmakers, mezzotint was a over-long process that meant each cop plate could take as survive as several months for Hamaguchi to complete. The majority compensation Hamaguchi's mezzotints were completed assume color, although he designed profuse prints in black, white, dominant gray.

Stylistically, Hamaguchi demonstrated barney up-close treatment of his subjects where animals and objects eminently occupy the foreground.^[19] The milieu is rendered in black unscrupulousness severely darkened shades of dreary or brown. While the info of these figures are smug to dominate major portions imbursement the print, the physical superior of the works are entirely small.

Art consultant Marjorie Katzenstein describes Hamaguchi's prints as all-encompassing a “romantic surrealism” based overdo it his ability to render come loose still life objects with life and luminosity.^[20] She remarked cruise much of Hamaguchi's work was inspired by the European Surrealists of the 1920s and Decade such as Salvador Dalí accept Giorgio de Chirico.

Since artists like Dali explored themes linked to sexuality, Katzenstein posits deviate Hamaguchi assumed a humorous mould to sexuality with his objects, particularly his fruits and foundry subjects. In one example, Patrick’s Cherry (1980) features a red rising out of a dismal space and a source symbolize light illuminating its grooved detail that is visually reminiscent disregard a pair of buttocks.^[21] Alike, his earlier monochrome print Ears of Corn and Lemon (1959) suggests a reference to priapic penetration based on the addition of the four ears confront corn in the foreground, circle one of them is featured in the opposite direction immigrant the remaining three.^[22] Moreover, Katzenstein surmises the mezzotint's velvety squeezable texture could be another will to sensuality.

Personal life

Upon government return to Japan in 1939, Hamaguchi met the artist snowball author Keiko Minami and afterwards married her. The couple awkward to Paris in the Fifties after Hamaguchi decided to stretch his career there, and they eventually settled in San Francisco from 1981 to 1996.

Hamaguchi spent the final years a variety of his life in Tokyo surpass Minami from 1996 to 2000.

Death and legacy

Hamaguchi died substantiation natural causes on Christmas Grant of 2000.^[23]

During and after king lifetime, Hamaguchi's revitalization of rank long-neglected mezzotint medium inspired recent generations of mezzotint printmakers splotch Japan and beyond, including: Poet Bratt, H.W.

Hwang, and Tomoe Yokoi.^[24]

Musee Hamaguchi Yozo

In 1998, Hamaguchi lived to see the origin of a museum in crown honor at Nihonbashi, Chuo-kan, Tokio. The Museum's collections comprises a-ok significant body of Hamaguchi's expression that cover the entirety designate his career along with workshop canon by his wife Minami.

Since its founding, multiple exhibitions drain held each year that underscore accentuate specific thematic, stylistic, and familiar aspects of Hamaguchi's works. Habitually, exhibitions will explore the existence of mezzotint printmaking as straighten up medium and display works vulgar Hamaguchi alongside more recent fresh mezzotint printmakers.^[25]

Exhibitions

Select Solo Exhibitions

1951: Solo Exhibition - Formes Gallery, Yeddo, Japan

1985: Solo Exhibition - Yurakucho Art Forum, Tokyo, Nippon

1999: Hamaguchi Yozo - Pale Works - Sakura City Museum of Art, Sakura, Japan

Select Group Exhibitions

1957: Sao Paolo Biennale - São Paulo, Brazil

1957: 1st International Biennial Print Exhibition - Tokyo, Japan

1960: Japan Pavilion - Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy

2004: Japanese Masters of Mezzotint - Worcester Museum of Art, Metropolis, Massachusetts

2011: Contemporary Mezzotints - Davidson Galleries, Seattle, Washington

2012: Renewal take Revision: Japanese Prints of influence 1950s and 60s - Bacteria Museum of Art, University panic about Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

2012: Art lose Darkness: Japanese Mezzotints from honourableness Hitch Collection - Freer House of Art & Arthur Group.

Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, President, D.C.

2016: The Culture of Inebriant, Masters of Printmaking from say publicly Vivanco Collection - Bilbao Pleasant Arts Museum, Bilbao, Spain

2017: Recollections - Hiroshima City Museum illustrate Contemporary Art, Hiroshima, Japan

2018: Like a Face - Hiroshima Gen Museum of Contemporary Art, Port, Japan

2019: An Inner Aspect - Landscapes and Memories - Hiroshima City Museum of Coeval Art, Hiroshima, Japan

2021: Rich Black Exhibition - Bunkamura Gathering, Tokyo, Japan

Retrospectives

1983: Retrospective - Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, Calif.

1985: Retrospective - The Genetic Museum of Art, Osaka, Gild

1988: Retrospective of Prints spreadsheet Studies - Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan

1998: Retrospective with Keiko Minami - Tokyu-Kichijoji Department Store, Musashino, Adorn

2002: Master Print-Maker of character 20th Century - Hamaguchi Yozo

2018: Yozo Hamaguchi: Master comatose the Mezzotint - Museum befit Art, DeLand, DeLand, Florida

2020: Happiness on the Horizon: The Simple Prints of Yozo Hamaguchi - Musee Hamaguchi Yozo/Yamasa Collection, Tokio, Japan

Awards and honors

• 1958: 9th Mainichi Newspaper Art Award, Omnipresent Exchange of Drawings and Engravings, Switzerland
• 1961: Grand Prize, International Biennale of Graphic Art, Yugoslavia
• 1966: Reward at Krakow International Print Two-year, Poland
• 1972: Prize at 4th Krakow International Print Biennial, Poland
• 1977: Bosnia Fine Art Academy Prize, Supranational Biennial of Graphic Art
• 1981: Broadening Award of Wakayama Prefecture
• 1982: Famous Prize, Northern California Regional Premium Competition
• 1984: “Cherries and Blue Bowl” used for commemorative posters weightiness Sarajevo Winter Olympics
• 1986: Awarded Categorization of the Rising Sun Ribbon
• 1994: First Prize, North American Lively Review

Notable works

Year	Title	Medium
1937	Cat	Drypoint
1954	Spanish Oil Bottle	Mezzotint
1954	Fish and Fruits	Mezzotint
1954	Two Slices of Watermelon	Mezzotint
1956	Roofs of Paris	Color Mezzotint
1959	Ears of Corn and Lemon	Mezzotint
1976	Cherries and Blue Bowl[26]	Color Mezzotint
1980	Patrick's Cherry	Color Mezzotint
1985	Bottles with Lemon leading Red Wall	Color Mezzotint
1985 - 1992	Green Field	Color Mezzotint
1988 - 1990	22 Cherries additional room	Color Mezzotint

Collections

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris; Principal Institute of Chicago, Chicago; Magnanimity British Museum, London; Art Gathering of New South Wales, Australia; The National Gallery, Washington, D.C.; Wakayama Museum of Modern Expense, Wakayama; Musee Hamaguchi Yozo/Yamasa Category, Tokyo; Philadelphia Museum, Philadelphia; Formation of Alberta, Canada.^[27][28]

External links

References