J. T. H. no. 1 by Takeshi Kawashima
This is a serigraph by Japanese modernist Takeshi Kawashima. It is titled J. T. H. no. 1. The title is enigmatic. The piece shows a series of circular objects surrounded by squares on a deep blue field. Each circular object is slightly different in its swirling pattern. There is variation in size across the piece. While most are silver on blue, some are reversed and there are a few on different colors (green, light blue, orange, and yellow). On first glance, the piece appears to be very regular, but on closer inspection, there are two squares at the very bottom that aren't part of a row, though occur in a column. Also, the grid of rectangles is printed in a slightly different orientation than the blue field giving the piece a slightly off-kilter look. Finally, the upper left hand corner is rounded off compared to the others. Kawashima was known to employ aspects of minimalism, color-field, and Pop Art in his work, and this piece exhibits all three of these features. It is signed Kawashima in pencil in the blue rectangle lower right. Below that in pencil is given the title J.T.H. no. 1 and the edition 94/100. A very representative work of this artist. It is framed but has not been examined out of the frame. It is 'floated' on a brown mat board, so the entire sheet can be seen. It is untrimmed and appears to be in pristine condition. There is no fading, toning, staining, foxing, tears, or paper loss. The image size is 28 x 21 inches, the sheet size is 30 x 22 inches, and the frame is 34.25 x 26.25 inches. A very nice piece by this artist.
Takeshi Kawashima (1930 -) is an active Japanese artist. In addition to prints, he is a painter and sculptor. His formal training was at the School of Fine Art in Musashino. He taught briefly at the Yoyogi Art School, Tokyo. Early on he moved away from both traditional and abstract Japanese art to an abstract style that featured grids of images that became his characteristic style. He incorporated elements of minimalism, color-field, Op Art, and Pop Art in his work. He held annual solo exhibits at the Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo. He also exhibited with the Yomiuri Independents in Tokyo through 1963. He moved to New York City in the early 1960s and was quickly recognized as an emerging modern artist with a distinctive style. He was invited to participate in the groundbreaking exhibit, "The New Japanese Painting and Sculpture" at the Museum of Modern Art in 1965. His work was also included in the Museum of Modern Art's, "1960s Selection from Museum Collection" and "Recent Acquisitions, 1968–1973". He spent over 50 years in the United States, but moved back to Japan where he opened the Takeshi Kawashima Art Factory on Naoshima, popularly known as "art island." He also established the Setouchi Triennale arts festival. In addition to his prestigious exhibits, his work received many awards including the Daniel Schnakenberg scholarship (1965) and the Silvermine Award (1967). His work is held in many major collections including the Norton Simon Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, NY.
Price: $415
Size: 30 x 22 inches
Framed Size: 34.25 x 26.25 inches
Plate Size: 28 x 21 inches
Condition: Pristine
Medium: Serigraph
Subject: Abstract
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