The George Tsutakawa in Japan video project measures 4 linear feet and contains unedited video recordings of Tsutakawa's return trip to his childhood home in central Japan. The recordings, made by the West Coast Regional Center of the Archives of American Art in 1988, were subsequently edited into the 23-minute documentary George Tsutakawa: An Artist's Pilgrimage, also included in this collection.
Scope and Contents:
The George Tsutakawa in Japan video project measures 4 linear feet and contains unedited video recordings of Tsutakawa's return trip to his childhood home in central Japan. The recordings, made by the West Coast Regional Center of the Archives of American Art in 1988, were subsequently edited into the 23-minute documentary George Tsutakawa: An Artist's Pilgrimage, also included in this collection.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series.
Series 1: Unedited Video for Documentary, 1988 (3.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-4)
Series 2: George Tsutakawa: An Artist's Pilgrimage, 1990 (3 folders; Box 4)
Biographical / Historical:
George Tsutakawa (1910-1997) was a Japanese American painter and sculptor based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Seattle in 1910, he moved with his mother to Fukuyama, Japan, at the age of seven. While there, he took an interest in art, and was influenced by traditional Japanese practices. Returning to Seattle at age 16, he continued his education in art at the University of Washington. His interest in sculpture led to numerous commissions for fountians worldwide, a form that combined his experiences in both the Pacific Northwest and Japan. During his career, Tsutakawa designed, built, and installed over 70 fountains.
Following a 1987 interview with Tsutakawa conducted by the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, the Archives' West Coast Regional Center took the opportunity to further document Tsutakawa's experience as a Japanese-American artist. Fourteen hours of video were recorded over a three-week period in the fall of 1988, centered around the Fountain of Lotus, a sculpture Tsutakawa was commissioned to design for a new art museum in his childhood home of Fukuyama, Japan. Tsutakawa is accompanied by members of his family, including his wife Ayame, his daughter Mayumi, and his son Gerard.
The video crew for this project included Paul Karlstrom (Archives of American Art West Coast regional director), Ken Levine (director and videographer), and Dan Gadd (videographer). The project was made possible by a Smithsonian Research Opportunities Grant and additional private donations, as well as an equipment loan from Sony.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview recorded on video June 26-27, 1987 by his daughter Mayumi Tsutakawa, as well as the George Tsutakawa papers, 1953-1991.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from the Archives of American Art. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
The papers of Washington-based sculptor and educator George Tsutakawa measure 1 linear feet and date from 1963 to 1991. The papers document his career as a painter, sculptor, and teacher and include biographical material, correspondence, exhibition files, membership records, project files, and printed material.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Washington-based sculptor and educator George Tsutakawa measure 1 linear feet and date from 1963 to 1991. The papers document his career as a painter, sculptor, and teacher and include biographical material, correspondence, exhibition files, membership records, project files, and printed material.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
George Tsutakawa (1910-1997) was a Japanese American sculptor, painter, and teacher who primarily worked in Seattle, Washington. Tsutakawa was born in Seattle, but he was educated and raised in Japan from 1917 to 1927. Upon his return to Seattle, he enrolled in high school and later attended the University of Washington School of Art (1932-1937), where he majored in sculpture.
During World War II, his family was sent to the Japanese American incarceration camps, while Tsutakawa served in the U.S. Army from 1941-1945. After the war, he returned to Seattle and in 1947 he married his wife Ayame, whom he had met at one of the Japanese incarceration camps he visited in order to see and help family members during the war. That same year, Tsutakawa also started teaching at the University of Washington, where he resumed his studies and got his M.F.A. in 1950.
From the late 1950s through 1970s, Tsutakawa rose to prominence for his designs of fountains, usually made from bronze or welded steel. Over the course of his career, he designed fountains for roughly 80 commissions across the United States and Japan. During this time, he continued to teach at the University of Washington until his retirement in 1976. He died in Seattle in 1997.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with George Tsutakawa conducted 1983 September 8-19, by Martha Kingsbury; an oral history interview with George Tsutakawa conducted 1987 June 26-27, by his daughter Mayumi Tsutakawa; and the George Tsutakawa in Japan video project recordings.
Provenance:
The George Tsutakawa papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by George Tsutakawa in 1991.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Educators -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
The Lynn Schmidt interviews with Isamu Noguchi and Tom Nakashima measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1980 to 1990. The collection consists of recorded interviews with Isamu Noguchi that were conducted 9 July and 5 August 1980 in his studio (now the Noguchi Museum), in Long Island City, N.Y.; as well as interviews with Tom Nakashima, conducted 31 July 1989 to 10 March 1990.
Scope and Contents:
The Lynn Schmidt interviews with Isamu Noguchi and Tom Nakashima measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1980 to 1990. The collection consists of recorded interviews with Isamu Noguchi that were conducted 9 July and 5 August, 1980, in his studio (now the Noguchi Museum), in Long Island City, N.Y.; as well as interviews with Tom Nakashima, conducted 31 July 1989 to 10 March 1990. Schmidt, a former employee of the United States Information Agency, was assigned to interview Noguchi and write an article about him for the agency. The interviews with Tom Nakashima were completed as part of an exhibition in conjunction with the Washington Project for the Arts, which Schmidt curated. The catalog from this exhibition is also in the collection. Also found here is a radio interview with Nakashima on WPFW, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, D.C.
Arrangement:
To the small size of this collection the interviews are arranged as one series.
Series 1: Recorded Interviews and Printed Material, 1980-1990 (Box 1-2; .9 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Lynn Schmidt (1949- ) is an artist, author, and curator based in Washington, D.C. Schmidt was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and worked for the U.S. information Agency. Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was a Japanese American sculptor based in Long Island City, New York. Tom Nakashima (1941- ) is a Japanese American artist based in Washington, D.C.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Lynn Schmidt in 2006.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital and audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Lynn Schmidt interviews with Isamu Noguchi and Tom Nakashima, 1980-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Takiguchi's resume; 111 slides of his work; directions to his home; three exhibition posters and an exhibition catalog; and clippings, mostly photocopies.
Biographical / Historical:
Masaru Takiguchi (1941- ) is a Japanese American sculptor based in Houston, Texas.
Provenance:
Microfilmed as part of AAA's Texas Arts Documentation Project. Donated 1984 by Masaru Takiguchi.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The papers of video artist, printmaker, and sculptor Norie Sato measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1974 to 1991. Biographical materials, correspondence, lecture, exhibition, and project files, printed material, and writings document Sato's activities to mid-career and her involvement in professional video and artist organizations primarily in Seattle, Washington.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of video artist, printmaker, and sculptor Norie Sato measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1974 to 1991. Biographical materials, correspondence, lecture, exhibition, and project files, printed material, and writings document Sato's activities to mid-career and her involvement in professional video and artist organizations primarily in Seattle, Washington.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Japanese-born video artist, printmaker, and sculptor Norie Sato (1949- ) is based in Seattle, Washington and is known for her many site-specific installations that interact with their environment.
Sato moved to Seattle in 1972 and received her Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from the University of Washington. She is a founder of the Center for Contemporary Art (COCA) in Seattle and a member of the Seattle Arts Commission. Sato received the Washington State Governor's Arts and Heritage Award in 2014, among many other awards.
Provenance:
Donated 1991 by Norie Sato.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Video artists -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Printmakers -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
An interview of Frank Okada conducted 1990 Aug. 16-17, in Seattle, Wash., by Barbara Johns, for the Archives of American Art Northwest Asian American Project. Okada discusses his parents' background; his family including his brothers, John, author of "No-No Boy," and Charlie, a graphic designer; traveling to Japan for the Pacific Northwest Artists and Japan exhibition; being in an internment camp; painting in Eugene, Ore. and Seattle, Wash.; his painting techniques; studying under Leon Derbyshire; his connection with the jazz scene in Seattle in the late 1940s and 1950s including musicians Sammy Davis, Ray Charles, and Quincy Jones; attending Cornish School of Art, Seattle; meeting Mark Tobey; comparision of his painting style to Tobey's; his stint in the Army; attending Cranbrook Academy of Art and studying with painter Fred Mitchell; his Whitney fellowship in New York; study of Japanese, Chinese, and Zen paintings; working for Boeings in the early 1960s; traveling to France on a Guggenheim; teaching at University of Oregon in Eugene; his minimalist work; influence of Japanese art in his painting. Okada mentions Lawson Inada (Asian American poet), Frank Chin (Asian American playwright), artists David Stone Martin, James Edward Peck, Yayoi Kusama, George Tsutakawa, Paul Horiuchi, Ben Shahn, Kenjiro Nomura, Louis Bunce, Bill Ivey, and art gallery owner Zoe Dusanne.
Biographical / Historical:
Frank S. Okada (1931-2000) was a Japanese American painter based in Seattle, Washington. He taught at University of Oregon from 1969-1999.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 38 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Frank S. Okada, 1990 Aug. 16-17. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of George Tsutakawa conducted 1983 September 8-19, by Martha Kingsbury, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project, in Seattle, Washington.
Tsutakawa speaks of his youth in Japan and Seattle, and the importance of a bicultural family and education on his development; the influence of European art magazines and American movies in Japan; family members who were influential; his early sculpture; Alexander Archipenko; the Asian art community in Seattle; teaching at the University of Washington School of Architecture; Bauhaus philosophy; the Seattle Public Library fountain; his World War II experiences; art and World's Fairs; fountains he has sculpted and his feelings about them; and permanency in art.
Biographical / Historical:
George Tsutakawa (1910-1997) was a Japanese American painter and sculptor based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Seattle in 1910, he moved with his mother to Fukuyama, Japan, at the age of seven. While there, he took an interest in art, and was influenced by traditional Japanese practices. Returning to Seattle at age 16, he continued his education in art at the University of Washington. His interest in sculpture led to numerous commissions for fountians worldwide, a form that combined his experiences in both the Pacific Northwest and Japan. During his career, Tsutakawa designed, built, and installed over 70 fountains.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 14 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 43 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Educators -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
An interview of George Tsutakawa conducted 1987 June 26-27, by his daughter Mayumi Tsutakawa, for the Archives of American Art at Tsutakawa's home and studio in Seattle, Washington and at three of his fountain sculpture sites.
He discusses his youth and early education in Japan, demonstrates Sumi painting, and describes early Seattle art communities and University of Washington classes. He recalls his WWII experiences and his friendship with Mark Tobey and others, and explains the origins and evolution of fountain sculpture. Paul J. Karlstrom of the Archives of American Art introduces and concludes the interview.
Biographical / Historical:
George Tsutakawa (1910-1997) was a Japanese American painter and sculptor based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Seattle in 1910, he moved with his mother to Fukuyama, Japan, at the age of seven. While there, he took an interest in art, and was influenced by traditional Japanese practices. Returning to Seattle at age 16, he continued his education in art at the University of Washington. His interest in sculpture led to numerous commissions for fountians worldwide, a form that combined his experiences in both the Pacific Northwest and Japan. During his career, Tsutakawa designed, built, and installed over 70 fountains.
General:
Originally recorded on 12 videocassettes. Duration is 4 hr.
Related Materials:
This interview was followed up in 1988 by documenting Tsutakawa's return to Fukuyama, Japan to dedicate a major work for the city's new museum of contemporary art (cataloged separately under George Tsutakawa in Japan video project). Footage from this interview was used, along with footage from the 1988 Fukuyama footage, in the documentary "George Tsutakawa: An Artists' Pilgrimage" c1990 by the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
Occupation:
Educators -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with George Tsutakawa, 1983 September 8-19. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with George Tsutakawa, 1987 June 26-27. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Isamu Noguchi conducted 1973 Nov. 7-Dec. 26, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
NOVEMBER 7, 1973 session: Noguchi discusses his family background; growing up in Japan; returning to the United States in 1917; his identity as an artist; Gutzon Borglum; Columbia University and studying pre-med; attending Leonardo da Vinci Art School; apprenticing to Onorio Ruotolo; quitting Columbia to become a sculptor; Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927; J.B. Neumann; Alfred Stieglitz; George Grey Barnard; James Earle Fraser; Brummer and the Brummer Gallery; studying at Chaumiere and Collarosi; working with Brancusi; meeting Sandy Calder in Paris; Stuart Davis; Morris Kantor; Andrée Ruellan; his work, "Sphere"; reacting against Brancusi; Eugene Schoen's; his Carnegie Hall studio; Michio Ito; Martha Graham; Buckminster Fuller; traveling in China and Japan; meeting Chi Pai Shi; John Becker; his works, "Play Mountain," "Monument to the Plow," "Monument to Ben Franklin," and "Orpheus" for Balanchine; designing for the stage; Audrey McMahon; Harry Hopkins; Holger Cahill; Mexico; Diego Rivera; Miguel Covarrubias; and the Artists Union.
DECEMBER 10, 1973 Session: His reaction to the Spanish Civil War- avoided direct involvement; Stuart Davis; Gorky; Andre Breton; David Hare; Marcel Duchamp; John Graham; Julien Levy; his artist friends dying at the peak of their success; Leger; Stirling Calder; associating himself with the laboring class; Buckminster Fuller; being American; expanding the possibilities of sculpture; his Associated Press Building project in Rockefeller Center, it being done in stainless steel instead of bronze; John Collier; Japanese-American Citizens League; organizing Nisei Artists and Writers Mobilization for Democracy; Jeanne Reynal; going to Poston, Ariz. to assist with American Indian Service camp under John Collier and becoming an internee there; returning to New York in 1942; Bollingen Foundation; trip around the world in 1949; and Philip Guston.
DECEMBER 18, 1973 session: Best work in studio; reaction against expressionism; artists protesting against the Establishment; his objection to the WPA, influenced by William Zorach; exhibiting in group show called, "Fourteen Americans at the Museum of Modern Art"; show at Egan Gallery in 1949; accepting art in its most aesthetically pure form without reference to social issues; movement in Japan since war to get away from refinement of Japan; Yoshiro Hiro responsible for Gutai and the happenings; his work, "Monument to Heroes," using bones; his work takes years to do; materials used in his work; his work, "Cronos"; doing theater stage sets for the Library of Congress including, "Appalachian Spring" and "Herodiade"; wants a given space which he can call his own and do something with it, has to be a work of art.
DECEMBER 26, 1973 Session: Show with Charles Egan in 1948 arranged by de Kooning; applying to the Bollingen Foundation to write a book on leisure, which was never written; traveling to Italy, Egypt, and India for two years; being removed from the New York scene with Franz Kline and de Kooning; his light objects; sculpture as environment; respect for material; Mondrian and his art deriving from nature; his time in Japan in 1931; visiting Japan in 1951; working in stone; projects in Japan; Taniguchi; Antonin Raymond; designing Japanese gardens; discovery of Zen; Hasegawa Saburo; Skidmore; Hans Knoll; Edison Price; Italy in the 1960s; Peter Gregory; Henry Moore; Louis Kahn; UNESCO; Noguchi Foundation and Plaza Company; Shoji; Eleanor Ward; and his autobiography, "A Sculptor's World."
Biographical / Historical:
Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was a Japanese American sculptor based in Long Island City, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hrs., 25 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Isamu Noguchi, 1973 Nov. 7-Dec. 26. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Extent:
43 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2005 May 23- 24
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Jun Kaneko conducted 2005 May 23-24, by Mary Drach McInnes, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the artist's studio, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Kaneko speaks of his parents and grandparents; growing up in Japan; taking art lessons as a child; moving to Los Angeles; living with ceramic collectors Fred and Mary Marer; attending Chouinard Art Institute; making and exhibiting his first ceramic pieces; working as a studio assistant to Peter Voulkos; being artist in residence at the Archie Bray Foundation; building his first studio; getting a graduate degree at Scripps College; returning to Japan and building a studio; being hired to teach at Cranbrook Academy of Art; working with art dealers; how the ceramics market has changed during his career; working in the international craft market; his current studio and living space; the inspiration for his work; his interest in patternmaking; making large-scale pieces; why he likes clay; selection of color; moving to Omaha; traveling and working on various projects; working at industrial sites; making ceramic tile walls; influential artists; how critics view his work; the future of ceramic art; and working in different media. Kaneko also recalls Jerry Rothman, Paul Soldner, Jim Melchert, Ralph Bacerra, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Jun Kaneko (1942- ) is a ceramicist and sculptor from Omaha, Nebraska. Mary Drach McInnes is an art history professor from Alfred Station, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 43 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Jun Kaneko, 2005 May 23- 24. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
