The 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Marcel Duchamp - Shuzo Takiguchi and Kazuo Okazaki Exhibition

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It goes without saying that Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) is a pioneer of contemporary art and regarded as one of the most important artists of the 20th century. In the 1930’s, even before such consensus had been established, Shuzo Takiguchi (1903-79) was already deeply interested in Duchamp and frequently discussed his work. After meeting Duchamp during his visit to Europe in 1958, Takiguchi continued correspondence with Duchamp and presented to him some of his books; for the idea of the imaginary “Shop of Objects” which Takiguchi conceived around 1963, Duchamp awarded Takiguchi his female pseudonym “Rrose Sélavy”. In return, enclosed with a thank-you letter for the name, Takiguchi gifted Duchamp with his roto dessin work (Rotational Drawing by a Motor) and also published “Quotations from Marcel Duchamp” (1968). In addition, he also produced the multiple “Oculist Witnesses after Marcel Duchamp” (1977), a three dimensional work which depicted the details of “Oculist Witnesses” from Duchamp’s masterpiece “The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even”. It is no exaggeration to state that Duchamp and his works, research projects and discussions would become some of the most important themes in the latter half of Takiguchi’s life.
Kazuo Okazaki (1930- ) also drew inspiration from Duchamp’s art. Consistently working on objects since the 1950’s, 86-year-old Okazaki, who has been actively producing various series of works such as “Supplements”, “Who’s Who” and “Hisashi”, has also created numerous works related to Duchamp, the founder of readymade objects, including “Heart” (1962) and “Window” (1965). It was natural for Takiguchi, who has evaluated Okazaki’s work since the 1950’s, to add Okazaki as one of the collaborators in the above-mentioned book “Quotations from Marcel Duchamp”, and entrust Okazaki with the actual production of the previously mentioned work “Oculist Witnesses after Marcel Duchamp”. Enthusiastically reading Takiguchi’s ”Modern Arts” while in school, Okazaki also produced works which are associated with Takiguchi, such as “Shuzo Takiguchi – Arrow Finger” (1968). On the other hand, Takiguchi also presented a décalcomanie work to Okazaki in 1966, and contributed the introduction poem “His Smile, Then” to the publication “Kazuo Okazaki Works 1962-1976″ (1977). It is no doubt that the bonds between the two became stronger through their shared interest in and respect for Duchamp.
Celebrating the beginning of the 130th anniversary of Duchamp’s birth, this exhibition presents about 40 of Takiguchi and Okazaki’s Duchamp-related works, including “Quotations from Marcel Duchamp” and “Oculist Witnesses after Marcel Duchamp”, and tries to analyze their admiration to Duchamp, and the depth of the bond between these two artists. This exhibition is the 5th in the series “The Light Traces of Shuzo Takiguchi”, which has been ongoing since 2009, and all works are from the collection of Mr. Nobuhiko Tsuchibuchi.