Keiichi Tanaami Adventures in Memory

This book is a definitive collection summarizing the 60-year creative journey of Keiichi Tanaami, whose global recognition continues to rise.

Centered on approximately 600 images spanning from his early works to his latest creations, it offers a comprehensive exploration through abundant rare materials and multifaceted analysis.

In 1975, Tanaami became the first art director for the Japanese edition of the monthly magazine “PLAYBOY”, drawing attention with his innovative graphic design. Under his unique concept that “printed matter is not a reproduction but countless original works,” he expanded his expressions across various media, including painting, silkscreen, collage, animation, experimental film, objects, and installations. Since 2000, his passion for expression has remained undiminished at 88 years old, evident in collaborations with fashion brands and musicians, 700 Picasso reproductions created during the pandemic, and interactions with the works of the late Fujio Akatsuka.

◆ Tanaami’s Direct Involvement in the Production
Tanaami personally selected the designer, supervised the layout and cover, and repeatedly performed color proofing. Throughout this process, he demonstrated his deep expertise in printing technology.

◆ The Path from “Memory” to Artistic Expression
In the original essay “The Bridge at the Boundary Between the Profane and the Sacred,” Tanaami discusses how childhood memories evolved into his latest work, “Hyakkyozu”.

◆ Tanaami’s Creative Process
Tanaami’s process begins with determining the composition by reducing his own drawings via photocopying, followed by creating instruction sheets with DIC color chips and dot screen specifications. These sheets are then completed by assistants using computers. The book also includes his instruction sheets filled with detailed notes, along with hand-drawn storyboards from his 1970s animations and experimental films.

◆ Multifaceted Analysis Through Five Essays
Tanaami’s cross-genre creative activities are examined within the context of historical eras, from his childhood during wartime to the postwar economic boom and the present day.
1. *The Zero Point of Pop—War and Sexuality in Keiichi Tanaami’s Art*
Yuko Ikegami [Art Historian, Professor at Osaka University Graduate School of Humanities]
2. *Keiichi Tanaami—Pop in His 1960s Paper Works*
Sarah Suzuki [Associate Director, Museum of Modern Art, New York]
3. *Keiichi Tanaami as an Image Director—Design and Art from the 1950s to 1960s*
Natsu Onodera [Special Researcher, The National Art Center, Tokyo]
4. *Keiichi Tanaami—Experimental Animation Filmmaker and Structuralist Cinema Artist*
Julian Ross [Assistant Professor, Leiden University]
5. *Postwar and the 21st Century for Keiichi Tanaami*
Yuji Yamashita [Art Historian, Professor at Meiji Gakuin University, Faculty of Arts]

◆ Comprehensive Resources for Deepening Understanding of Tanaami
Includes a 20,000-word long interview, a keyword glossary filled with episodes that seem to drift between reality and dreams, an investigation of the accumulated materials in his studio that delves into the secrets of his thinking, along with a brief chronology, major exhibition history, public collections, and key bibliography.

【Exhibition Information】
*Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures in Memory*
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo
Exhibition Period: August 7, 2024 (Wed) – November 11, 2024 (Mon)