Artist
Keiichi Tanaami
Japanese, 1936–2024
Keiichi Tanaami was a Japanese artist. 3 works are cataloged here, principally at Museum of Modern Art. Keiichi Tanaami was born in Tokyo.
Overview
Keiichi Tanaami (21 July 1936 – 9 August 2024) was a Japanese pop artist who was active as multi-genre artist from the 1960s as a graphic designer, illustrator, video artist and fine artist.
Early life and career
Keiichi Tanaami was born in Tokyo on 21 July 1936, as the eldest son of a textile wholesaler. He was 9 years old when Tokyo was bombed during the Great Tokyo Air Raid of World War II in 1945. Images seared into the back of his mind at this time would become major motifs in his art works: roaring American bombers, searchlights scanning the skies, firebombs dropped from planes, the city a sea of fire, fleeing masses, and his father's deformed goldfish swimming in its tank, flashes from the bombs reflecting in the water. "I was rushed away from my childhood, a time that should be filled with eating and playing, by the enigmatic monstrosity of war; my dreams were a vortex of fear and anxiety, anger and resignation. On the night of the air raid, I remember watching swarms of people flee from bald mountaintops. But then something occurs to me: was that moment real? Dream and reality are all mixed up in my memories, recorded permanently in this ambiguous way." Tanaami took to drawing from a young age, and as a junior high school student he often spent time at the studio of leading postwar cartoonist Kazushi Hara with the intention of becoming a cartoonist himself. After Hara's sudden death, however, he turned to the pioneering field within manga of graphic novels, and went on to study to become a professional artist at Musashino Art University. Word of his talent spread quickly during his time there and in 1958, as a second year student, he was awarded the Special Selection at an exhibition held by the authoritative illustration and design group of the time. After graduating he took a job with an advertising agency, but quit before one year was up due to the numerous private commissions he was receiving. During the '60s he busied himself as a successful illustrator and graphic designer while also actively participating in the Neo-Dada organization, one of the defining art movements of postwar Japan. In the latter half of the '60s he immersed himself in making video art, the newest medium in the art scene at the time.
"In the 1960s, the Sogetsu Art Center in Akasaka regularly held events that traversed many diverse genres. There were happenings staged by Yoko Ono, videos by Nam June Paik and experimental films from America. It was around that time that I heard about the [Sogetsu] Animation Festival (1965). I wanted so badly to make an animation, so I convinced Yōji Kuri's Experimental Animation Studio to help me create 'Marionettes in Masks' (35 mm, 8 minutes). I continued to make animations after that, with works such as 'Good-by Marilyn' (1971), 'Good-by Elvis and USA' (1971), 'Crayon Angel' (1975) and 'Sweet Friday' (1975)." In 1967, Tanaami took his first trip to New York City. There he came face to face with the works of Andy Warhol, shining brightly amidst the whirlwind of prospering American consumerism, and Tanaami was struck by the new possibilities of art within the world of design. "Warhol was in the process of shifting from commercial illustrator to artist, and I both witnessed and experienced firsthand his tactics, his method of incision into the art world. His strategies were identical to the strategies employed by advertising agencies. He used contemporary icons as motifs in his works and for his other activities put together media such as films, newspapers and rock bands. In other words, Warhol's sole existence was selling his works to the art market. I was shocked by this, and at the same time I embraced him as the perfect rol
Illness and death
In late June 2024, Tanaami was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, but remained hopeful about his recovery. Before the diagnosis, Tanaami had been preparing for a large-scale retrospective exhibition of his work, Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures in Memory held at The National Art Center, which opened on 8 August. In late July before the opening of his exhibition, Tanaami suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage from which he was unable to recover. He died on 9 August, at the age of 88.
Solo exhibitions
1958 "Metallic Art for Open-air Murals", Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo 1959 "Formative Art of Light by Metallic Art", Ginza Sato Gallery, Tokyo 1965 "Keiichi Tanaami - SERIES ORDER MADE", Tsubaki Kindai Gallery, Tokyo 1970 "Commercial Graphic", Gallery Melton, Canada 1971 "Keiichi Tanaami - CELLULOID BORN IN AMERICA", Gallery Décor, Tokyo 1971 "Cinema Demonstration", Sogetsu Hall, Tokyo 1972 "Films by Keiichi Tanaami", Tenjo-Sajiki-kan, Tokyo 1972 "Clockwork Marilyn", Gallery Décor, Tokyo 1974 "SUPER ORANGE OF LOVE SERIES", Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo 1976 "YOUSHIKEI (Infantile Landscape)", Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo 1977 "BOENKYO (The Mirror of Forgetting Childhood)" Serigraphy, Ao Gallery, Tokyo 1979 "ANOTHER PARADISE OF ARTIFICE SERIES", Ao Gallery, Tokyo 1980 "GIKEIZUKAN (The Illustrated Book of Artificial View) SERIES", Gallery Vivant, Tokyo 1984 "BURNING IN THE EVENING SERIES", Gallery Vivant, Tokyo 1985 "HYAKKA RYORAN (Bright With All Sorts of Flowers) – Keiichi Tanaami 60's Poster Exhibition", Gallery 360°, Tokyo 1986 "THE HOLLYWOOD STARDUST", Gallery 360°, Yurakucho Seibu Marion, Tokyo 1986 "The World of Keiichi Tanaami - PASSAGE IN THE AIR", Shibuya Seibu Seed Hall, Tokyo 1987 "Keiichi Tanaami", Annecy Chateau Museum, France 1987 "THE HOUSE IN ACSENTION", Plus Minus Gallery, Tokyo 1989 "New Works of Keiichi Tanaami - LAW OF THE FOREST", Shibuya Seibu Seed Hall, Tokyo 1990 "LAW OF THE FOREST", Seibu Hall, Shiga 1991 "SPIRAL FOREST-2", Nogizaka Art Hall, Tokyo 1991 "Keiichi Tanaami Print Exhibition - CELEBLATION OF THE FOREST", Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo 1992 "The World of Keiichi Tanaami", Ikeda 20th Century Museum, Shizuoka 1994 "Keiichi Tanaami-Works of Print 1967-1994", Kawasaki City Museum, Kanagawa 1994 "Keiichi Tanaami's Film-Image of Memory", AV Hall, Kawasaki City Museum, Kanagawa 1995 "Keiichi Tanaami Print Exhibition-Resembling", Gallery Vivant, Tokyo 1995 "Keiichi Tanaami Print Exhibition-Travel for Memories", Bokushin Gallery, Tokyo 1996 "Keiichi Tannami-100 Prints", Chukyo University C-Square, Nagoya 1998 "Variation by Dry-Point", Gallery Vivant, Tokyo 2000 "Keiichi Tanaami Graphic Works in the 60's", Gallery 360°, Tokyo 2001 "Keiichi Tanaami BLOW UP Launch Exhibition", Gallery 360°, Tokyo 2001 "Goldfish Exhibition by Keiichi Tanaami", Tokyo International Forum・Exhibition space, Tokyo 2002 "Tactile Sensibility of the Age-Keiichi Tanaami Graphic Works 1967-2002", D's Gallery, Kyoto University of Art and Design, Kyoto 2002 "Keiichi Tanaami 3000 Drawings", Gallery 360°, Tokyo 2002 "Keiichi Tanaami-Goldfish Lurking in a Glorious View", graf media gm, Osaka 2002 "Keiichi Tanaami-Legends of Volupte 1971-2002", Uplink Factory, Tokyo 2003 "Collage of FLOWERS by Keiichi Tanaami", Art Space Eumeria, Tokyo 2003 "Keiichi Tanaami-GET BACK", Gallery 360°, Tokyo 2004 "DISCO UNIVERSITY with Naohiro Ukawa", KPO Kirin Plaza Osaka, Japan 2004 "TANAAMI'S BEAUTY PARADE", Naruyama Gallery, Tokyo 2004 "Keiichi Tanaami – Ascension Furniture", graf media gm, Osaka 2004 "Keiichi Tanaami - Ascension Furniture + Fantastic City", EX'REALM, Tokyo 2004 "Keiichi Tanaami – Big Playground City", IDEE, Kyoto 2005 Solo Exhibition, Transplant Gallery, New York 2005 "Films of Keiichi Tanaami and Graphic 100", the Norwegian International Film Festival, Norway 2006 "TANAAMISM", Ginza Graphic Gallery, Tokyo 2006 "Layers of Keiichi Tanaami", Gallery AUBE, Kyoto University of Art and Design, Kyoto 2006 "Keiichi Tanaami – KAMON", Paul Smith 9 Albemarls Street Shop, Lond
Books of Paintings
1963 "Tamago-gata (Egg Shape)", Modern Art Center 1966 "Portrait of Keiichi Tanaami", Private Press 1969 "Kyozo Mirai Zukan (Illustrated Book of Imaginary Tomorrow)", Coauthor: Eizaburo Hara, Bronze-sha 1974 "The World of Keiichi Tanaami", Rippu Shobo 1984 "Keiichi Tanaami 1979-1984", Private Press 1986 "Passage in the Air; Paradise of Keiichi Tanaami", Shuei-sha 1989 "Law of the Forest", Fuso-sha 1990 "The Work of Keiichi Tanaami", Sano Gallery 1991 "Blessing of the Forest", Sano Gallery 1992 "100 Images", Tom's Box 1994 "Keiichi Tanaami-Works of Print; 1967-1994", Kawasaki City Museum "Hollywood Stardust", Sanshindo Publishing "Travel for Memories", Sanshindo Publishing 2001 "BLOW UP", Seigen-sha Art Publishing 2002 "AMIGOS", Gallery 360° "KINGYO", Amus Arts Press 2004 "BLOW UP 2", Seigen-sha Art Publishing "Dream and Memory", Studio Warp "Portrait of Keiichi Tanaami" (1966) Reprinted Edition, Keiichi Tanaami Design Studio "Keiichi Tanaami – Hyakka Kyoran", PRINTS 21 2005 "spiral", Seigen-sha Art Publishing 2006 "KAMON", KING OF MOUNTAIN "Keiichi Tanaami ggg Books 76", Ginza Graphic Gallery-Trans Art "Layers of Keiichi Tanaami", Kyoto University of Art and Design 2007 "DAYDREAM", Graphic-sha 2008 "colorful", Nanzuka underground 2009 "Kochuten", Nanzuka underground 2014 "Birth and Death Bridge", United Dead Artists
Books of Prints
1971 "Celluloid Borin In America", Gallery Décor, Tokyo 1974 "Pan Cake for Breakfast", Rippu Shobo 1986 "Hollywood Stardust", Image Forum 1990 "Spiral Forest", Private Press 1991 "Celebration of the Forest", Sano Gallery 1998 "Variation", Galerie Vivant
Joint Authorship
1996 "100 M Sightseeing – Ideas for Information Design" Coauthor: Masako Inada, Chikuma shobo
Exhibition Catalogue
1975 "Far From the Film – Keiichi Tanaami", Image Forum 1991 "Spiral Forest 2", Nogizaka Art Hall 1992 "The World of Keiichi Tanaami", Ikeda 20th Century Museum 1994 "Keiichi Tanaami – Works of Drawing and Print", Irodori Museum 2002 "Keiichi Tanaami – Animation Catalogue", Research Center for Information Design, Kyoto University of Art and Design 2004 "Weekly TANAAMI", Keibun-sha Ichijoji-ten
Editorial Design/Art Direction
1998－2000 "Series: Information Design", Edit: Kyoto University of Art and Design, Kadokawa Shoten Publishing
DVD
2002 "TANAAMISM – Magician of Film 1975-2002, Broadway 2002 "TANAAMISM 2 – Visual Epicureanism 1971-2003, Broadway 2003 "TANAAMISM"〔DVDBOX〕, Broadway 2004 "SCRAP DIARY+ANIMACTIONS!!, CREAGE
Film works
1971 "JAM POT" 16mm color 24mins "GREEN・RED" 16mm color 12mins "SHE" 16mm color 8mins "PUSSY"(2 sides) 16mm color 12mins "RAINBOW・SCENE"(3 sides) 16mm color 11mins 1973 "U.F.O" 16mm color 4mins 1974 "SWEET TOUCH OF LOVE" 16mm color 3mins "GET BACK ON THE HILL" 16mm color 12mins 1975 "4・EYES" 16mm color 9mins "WHY" 16mm color 10mins30sec "SHOOT THE MOON" 16mm color 8mins "SPECTACLE" 16mm color 16mins50sec "PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES" 16mm color 23mins "LOOK AT THE WOOD" 16mm color 12mins "Artificial Paradise" 16mm color 14mins "Human Events" 16mm color 5mins 1976 "Casa Blanca" 16mm color 9mins42sec 1977 "Jekyll and Hyde" 16mm color 13mins 1978 "Frankenstein" 16mm color 11mins "YOUSHI KEI (Prologue)" 16mm color 11mins12sec "YOUSHI KEI (Preview)" 16mm color 3mins 1979 "YOUSHI KEI (Another Rainbow City)" 16mm color 17mins17sec 1980 "Darkness Luring a Faint" 16mm color 27mins 1981 "Ryogu-Saishoku" 16mm color 15mins 1984 "Dream Shape Records" 16mm color 30mins 2002 "WHY Re-mix 2002" DV color 3mins20sec
Animation works
1965 "Marionettes in Masks" 35mm color 8mins 1966 "Women"(Co-produced with Shigetaka Sawada) 35mm color 7mins 1971 "GOOD-BY MARILYN" 16mm color 4mina52sec "GOOD-BY ELVIS and USA" 16mm color 7mins "FLICKER LOVE NO.1" 16mm color 4mins "COMMERCIAL WAR" 16mm color 4mins30sec 1973 "Oh Yoko!" 16mm color 4mins 1975 "Gentle Friday" 16mm color 3mins "CRAYON ANGEL" 16mm color 3mins 2000 "Dark Memories/Shadows of Dream" 16mm color 4mins 2001 "Breath of Window (Correspondence by Animation)" 16mm color 4mins 2002 "Scrap Diary" 16mm B&W 4mins "Gaze in the Summer – 1942" 16mm color 4mins "Memories (Scene of the Childhood)" 16mm color 3mins15sec "Walking Man" 16mm color 6mins "GOLDFISH FETISH" DV color 6mins 2003 "PUZZLE OF AUTUMN" DV color 8mins "FETISH DOLL" 16mm color 6mins "Portrait of Keiichi Tanaami" DV color 6mins 2004 "LANDSCAPE" 16mm color 4mins25sec "Ten Nights' Dreams" 16mm color 6mins 2005 "TRIP" 16mm color 4mins30sec "Madonna's Temptation" 16mm color 4mins "BLOW UP 2" DV color 8mins "4・EYES Re-Mix 2005" DV color 7mins "MADONNA" DV color 5mins "The Harmonic Gleam Vibration" DV color 10mins 2006 "NOISE" 16mm color 8mins50sec 2007 "INCH-HIGH SAMURAI" 16mm color 4mins35sec 2008 "DE CHIRICO" 16mm color 4mins30sec 2009 "SHUNGA" 16mm color 4mins30sec
Collections represented
Museum