Takesada Matsutani

At the heart of Japanese artist Takesada Matsutani's (born 1937) practice is the reshaping of matter. He transforms vinyl adhesive, acrylic and graphite into mesmerizing paintings, sculptures, works on paper and assemblages that animate his materials while challenging the essence of the forms they constitute. This guide covers how Matsutani arrived at his first experiments with vinyl glue and his work as part of Japan's influential Gutai group, his time as a printmaker in Stanley William Hayter's studio in Paris in the 1960s and his energetic daily studio practice. A generous selection of archival material, studio photography and artwork images showcases Matsutani's process, while an informative text by curator Mika Yoshitake offers insight into his wide-ranging influences, including calligraphy and Gutai; his half-century-long creative and personal dialogue with his wife, Kate Van Houten; and the forms and materials that comprise his visual language.

Accompanying a major survey on Japanese-born, Paris-based artist Takesada Matsutani (born 1937) at the Centre Pompidou, this volume reproduces works from 1958 to 2019.

In the late 1950s, Matsutani combined classic nihonga painting with surrealist influences, before evolving toward informal abstraction, and a decidedly Gutaï style. Matsutani was accepted into the Gutai group in 1963 by its founder, Jiro Yoshihara, who was attracted to his abstract paintings with their surfaces covered with gaping blisters obtained from a process of his own invention using vinyl adhesive. He thus commenced a dialogue with organic matter, the foundation of his future work. In 1966, he moved to France where he rediscovered a spiritual approach influenced by Shintoism and Buddhism.

In 1977 The Streams series began, using broad strips of paper, graphite and sumi ink. It was not until 2015 that color played a key role in his work again, with unusual tondo formats.

Opening with an introduction from Centre Pompidou Director Bernard Blistène and President Serge Lasvignes, the book continues with an essay by the museum's Chief Curator Christine Macel. Valérie Douniaux, who has been working with the artist's archives since 2014, surveys the Stream works. Writer Yves Peyré offers a poetic view of the artist's work in relation to Japanese traditions. Finally, Toshio Yamanashi, Director of the Osaka National Museum of Art, contributes an essay focusing on the main themes of Matsutani's work.