Sayonara, Yomiuri Independent

This article was written by the art critic Tōno Yoshiaki (1930–2005) upon the discontinuation of the Yomiuri Independent Exhibition and published in the April 1964 issue of Bijutsu techo. This issue also carried articles by Hariu Ichirō—“For the Future of the Independent Exhibition: Two Proposals (Andepandanten shōrai no tame ni—futatsu no teian),” which was also about the discontinuation of the Yomiuri exhibition—and Miyakawa Atsushi—“Anti-Art: Its Descent into Ordinariness (Hangeijutsu—sono nichijōsei e no kakō),” a critical summary of contemporary art trends.
The Yomiuri Independent Exhibition, which is the subject of this article, was an art exhibition that had been sponsored by the Yomiuri Shimbun Co. since 1949. At that time, the principle means of presenting one’s art was through public group exhibitions, and this non-juried, no-prize exhibition captured the attention of young artists with avant-garde tendencies, becoming the primary venue for their work, which gradually became more radical in its expression. For example, a work exhibited by Kudō Tetsumi at the 1960 exhibition was referred to by Tōno in his Yomiuri Shimbun exhibition review as “junk anti-art (garakuta no hangeijutsu).” In response to this radicalizing trend, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum—which was the venue for the exhibition—established “The Guidelines for Specifications of Works to be Displayed at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Tobi chinretsu sakuhin kikaku kijun yōkō),” which strengthened the regulation of works with “anti-art” tendencies. Due to these circumstances, the 1964 exhibition was cancelled, and the Yomiuri Independent Exhibition ended with its 15th iteration.
In the first half of the article, Tōno looks back on the tremendous influence and passion that the Yomiuri Independent Exhibition brought to bear on the postwar art world. In the second half, he focuses on the rules established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. According to Tōno, while there is a principled defense of freedom of expression with regard to exhibition regulations in the Japanese art world, there is no exchange of art theory. Tōno cites Marcel Duchamp’s submission of a men’s urinal titled Fountain to the New York Independent in 1917, praising the act as both the development of a theory of art and a defense of freedom of expression. He concludes by pointing out the generational differences in reaction to the cessation of the Independent Exhibition and identifying the problem of discommunication in the art world.

Title

Sayonara, Yomiuri Independent

Author

Tōno Yoshiaki

First published

1964

Translation

Andrew Maerkle

Editing

William Marotti, Uesaki Sen

Design

Ian Lynam

Theme

Exhibitions, Events, and Sites

First Posted Online

2021-03-15

Last modified

2021-03-15

© 2021 Tōno Yoshiaki + Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan

The "Readings" or the newly published English translations on this website (https://artplatform.go.jp) can be used without permission only for the purposes of education, research, critique, survey, and the like. English translations cannot be copied for the purpose of sale or distribution. You must comply with the Rules Governing the Use of the English Translations.

Citation

Footnote/endnote: Tōno Yoshiaki, "Yomiuri Independent," trans. Andrew Maerkle, Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan, posted March 15, 2021, artplatform.go.jp/readings/R202004.

Bibliography: Tōno Yoshiaki. "Yomiuri Independent." Translated by Andrew Maerkle. Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan. Posted March 15, 2021. artplatform.go.jp/readings/R202004.

Original Japanese Edition

Tōno Yoshiaki, “Sayōnara Yomiuri andepandan ten,” Bijutsu techo, no. 234 (April 1964): 11–14.

東野芳明「さようなら読売アンデパンダン展 」、『美術手帖』234号（1964年4月）、11–14頁。

National Diet Library(NDL)

https://id.ndl.go.jp/bib/762831

ISBN