SHOZO SHIMAMOTO: LA POÉSIE DU GESTEFIRST RETROSPECTIVE IN FRANCE AT BONHAMS
Shōzō Shimamoto (1928-2013), Untitled, 1960 183x138 cm (estimate on request)
Paris - Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr will be exhibiting in Paris a selection of works by Gutai group member Shōzō Shimamoto (1928-2013), during the week of Art Basel Paris. Entitled Shōzō Shimamoto : La poésie du geste, this selling exhibition will be the first retrospective dedicated to the artist to take place in France and will be featuring works from 1950 (the pre-Gutai period), through the famous Gutai period (1954-1972), to the artist's last performances in Italy from 2008 to 2011. Some of these works will be exhibited for the first time. The Gutai group was founded in Japan in the 1950s and was best known for a broad range of experimental art forms, often combining painting with performance. The pair of shoes used by the artist during one of his last performances will also be on view.
The exhibition will feature a particularly strong selection of works, including a standout oil and plaster on canvas by Shōzō Shimamoto (1928-2013), Untitled from 1960 (estimate on request). Additional highlights include Punta Campanella 44, 2008 (226 x 286 cm), acrylic on canvas and glass (estimate on request) and Bottle Crash, 2011 (200 x 185 cm), acrylic on fabric and glass (estimate on request).
Left: Shōzō Shimamoto (1928-2013), Punta Campanella 44, 2008 (226 x 286 cm), acrylic on canvas and glass (estimate on request) – Right: Shōzō Shimamoto (1928-2013), Bottle Crash, 2011 (200 x 185 cm), acrylic on fabric and glass (estimate on request)
During the 1950s and 60s, Shōzō Shimamoto explored the boundaries of painting by throwing bottles onto large-scale canvasses, applying layers of thick matter on them, and perforating the paper canvas, giving way to his Ana (Holes) series.
The hole works that he began prior to his participation and membership in the influential Japanese avant-garde group, Gutai Art Association, are particularly significant. At approximately the same time, Italian artist Lucio Fontana began making perforations in the canvas to restore the picture plane to three dimensions, or create a new spatial depth. Shimamoto conceived his painting as holes, breaking through layers of glued newspapers to achieve this effect.
A few years later, following his encounter with French art critic Michel Tapié and his growing interest in art informel, Shimamoto created several works in this style. These became some of his most pivotal pieces, marking a transition to a Tapié-inspired approach that emphasized materiality and rough surfaces, while still referencing his earlier Ana experiments with punched newspaper.
Shimamoto's live performance at the 2nd Gutai Exhibition, Ohara Kaikan, Tokyo, October 1956 © Osaka City Museum of Modern Art GA1707
The exhibition will be on view from 11 to 17 October 2024.
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