Yamamoto Kansuke: Conveyor of the Impossible

First Edition, 2001. 318 pages.

Book measures 6 x 8.5 inches. Softcover in dust jacket. Published on occasion of the exhibition at Tokyo Station Gallery. Includes John Solt’s insightful essay Perception, Misperception, Nonperception on the work of this incredible artist. Color and black & white plates throughout of Yamamoto’s photographs, drawings, paintings and poems.

Yamamoto (1914–1987) created, between the early 1930s and 1980s, avant-garde photographic works that manifested his sharp eye for social criticism and a unique poetic sensibility. He was one of the leading figures of Surrealism photography in Japan, and used a variety of methods, including collage and photomontage. His subjects ranged from objects arranged in extraordinary ways and detailed close-ups of various materials. From the 1950s, he also created paintings, sculptures and serial theatrical photographs. His works, which combine Western European Surrealist iconography with Japanese motifs and interests do not merely derive from or translate Western European art movements, but rather display acute aesthetic sensibility and superior spatial composition techniques. Yamamoto also began writing poetry in 1930. This catalogue brings together the many facets of this artist who has not been the focus of many monographs of publications compared to some of his contemporaries. 

Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. A clean bright copy of this scarce catalogue.