Keiichi Tanaami

Keiichi Tanaami (born 1936) is a major Japanese artist and designer who often produces colorful psychedelic art and has exhibited widely in painting, print and film.

Biography

Tanaami was born in 1936 as the eldest son of a fabric wholesaler in Kyōbashi, Tokyo. After graduating the Faculty of Design at Musashino Art University, he worked for a production section at Hakuhodo; however, he left the job within a year since he was too busy working outside the company. After that, he did various creative activities that were avant-garde and playful, such as animation, lithograph, illustration and editorial design. In 1968 he went to the United States where he worked at Andy Warhol's Factory in New York City before moving to San Francisco, California, where he experimented with LSD."Japanorama", Series 3, Episode 3. BBC Three, first aired 2 April 2007.]

In 1975, he was appointed as the first Art Director of “Monthly PLAYBOY” (Japanese Edition). He received a “special prize” at Nissenbi in a category of design. Meanwhile, he continued with experimental production by motion pictures, the works of which were shown at many film festivals/exhibitions all over the world such as Oberhausen and Edinburgh. In 1981, he was hospitalized for three months due to pleurisy, where he had a nightmare of his hallucination of “pine tree.” After leaving the hospital, he represented the world of memory and dream by painting, film and lithograph, introducing references of Asian figures such as deformed pine trees, cranes and elephants as his technique of representation. He has been a professor of Art and Design at Kyoto University since 1991.

In an interview in 2006, he said that the figures he draws originate in his dreams and memories. One recurring theme, an oversized goldfish, refers to his childhood memory of killing his grandfather's goldfish by squeezing them.

olo Exhibitions

*1958 “Metallic Art for Open-air Murals”, Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo
*1959 “Formative Art of Light by Metallic Art”, Ginza Sato Gallery, Tokyo
*1965 “Keiichi Tanaami - SERIES ORDER MADE”, Tsubaki Kindai Gallery, Tokyo
*1970 “Commercial Graphic”, Gallery Melton, Canada
*1971 “Keiichi Tanaami - CELLULOID BORN IN AMERICA”, Gallery Décor, Tokyo
*1971 “Cinema Demonstration”, Sogetsu Hall, Tokyo
*1972 “Films by Keiichi Tanaami”, Tenjo-Sajiki-kan, Tokyo
*1972 “Clockwork Marilyn”, Gallery Décor, Tokyo
*1974 “SUPER ORANGE OF LOVE SERIES”, Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo
*1976 “YOUSHIKEI (Infantile Landscape)”, Nishimura Gallery, Tokyo
*1977 “BOENKYO (The Mirror of Forgetting Childhood)” Serigraphy, Ao Gallery, Tokyo
*1979 “ANOTHER PARADISE OF ARTIFICE SERIES”, Ao Gallery, Tokyo
*1980 “GIKEIZUKAN (The Illustrated Book of Artificial View) SERIES”, Gallery Vivant, Tokyo
*1984 “BURNING IN THE EVENING SERIES”, Gallery Vivant, Tokyo
*1985 “HYAKKA RYORAN (Bright With All Sorts of Flowers) – Keiichi Tanaami 60’s Poster Exhibition”, Gallery 360°, Tokyo
*1986 “THE HOLLYWOOD STARDUST”, Gallery 360°, Yurakucho Seibu Marion, Tokyo
*1986 “The World of Keiichi Tanaami - PASSAGE IN THE AIR”, Shibuya Seibu Seed Hall, Tokyo
*1987 “Keiichi Tanaami”, Annecy Chateau Museum, France
*1987 “THE HOUSE IN ACSENTION”, Plus Minus Gallery, Tokyo
*1989 “New Works of Keiichi Tanaami - LAW OF THE FOREST”, Shibuya Seibu Seed Hall, Tokyo
*1990 “LAW OF THE FOREST”, Seibu Hall, Shiga
*1991 “SPIRAL FOREST-2”, Nogizaka Art Hall, Tokyo
*1991 “Keiichi Tanaami Print Exhibition - CELEBLATION OF THE FOREST”, Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo
*1992 “The World of Keiichi Tanaami”, Ikeda 20th Century Museum, Shizuoka
*1994 “Keiichi Tanaami-Works of Print 1967-1994”, Kawasaki City Museum, Kanagawa
*1994 “Keiichi Tanaami’s Film-Image of Memory”, AV Hall, Kawasaki City Museum, Kanagawa
*1995 “Keiichi Tanaami Print Exhibition-Resembling”, Gallery Vivant, Tokyo
*1995 “Keiichi Tanaami Print Exhibition-Travel for Memories”, Bokushin Gallery, Tokyo
*1996 “Keiichi Tannami-100 Prints”, Chukyo University C-Square, Nagoya
*1998 “Variation by Dry-Point”, Gallery Vivant, Tokyo
*2000 “Keiichi Tanaami Graphic Works in the 60’s”, Gallery 360°, Tokyo
*2001 “Keiichi Tanaami BLOW UP Launch Exhibition”, Gallery 360°, Tokyo
*2001 “Goldfish Exhibition by Keiichi Tanaami”, Tokyo International Forum・Exhibition space, Tokyo
*2002 “Tactile Sensibility of the Age-Keiichi Tanaami Graphic Works 1967-2002”, D’s Gallery, Kyoto University of Art and Design, Kyoto
*2002 “Keiichi Tanaami 3000 Drawings”, Gallery 360°, Tokyo
*2002 “Keiichi Tanaami-Goldfish Lurking in a Glorious View”, graf media gm, Osaka
*2002 “Keiichi Tanaami-Legends of Volupte 1971-2002”, Uplink Factory, Tokyo
*2003 “Collage of FLOWERS by Keiichi Tanaami”, Art Space Eumeria, Tokyo
*2003 “Keiichi Tanaami-GET BACK”, Gallery 360°, Tokyo
*2004 “DISCO UNIVERSITY with Naohiro Ukawa”, KPO Kirin Plaza Osaka, Japan
*2004 “TANAAMI’S BEAUTY PARADE”, Naruyama Gallery, Tokyo
*2004 “Keiichi Tanaami – Ascension Furniture”, graf media gm, Osaka
*2004 “Keiichi Tanaami - Ascension Furniture + Fantastic City”, EX’REALM, Tokyo
*2004 “Keiichi Tanaami – Big Playground City”, IDEE, Kyoto
*2005 Solo Exhibition, Transplant Gallery, New York
*2005 “Films of Keiichi Tanaami and Graphic 100”, the Norwegian International Film Festival, Norway
*2006 “TANAAMISM”, Ginza Graphic Gallery, Tokyo
*2006 “Layers of Keiichi Tanaami”, Gallery AUBE, Kyoto University of Art and Design, Kyoto
*2006 “Keiichi Tanaami – KAMON”, Paul Smith 9 Albemarls Street Shop, London
*2007 “DAYDREAM”, NANZUKA UNDERGROUND, Tokyo

Bibliography

Books of Paintings

*1963 “Tamago-gata (Egg Shape)” ,Modern Art Center
*1966 “Portrait of Keiichi Tanaami”, Private Press
*1969 “Kyozo Mirai Zukan (Illustrated Book of Imaginary Tomorrow)”, Coauthor: Eizaburo Hara, Bronze-sha
*1974 “The World of Keiichi Tanaami”, Rippu Shobo
*1984 “Keiichi Tanaami 1979-1984”, Private Press
*1986 “Passage in the Air; Paradise of Keiichi Tanaami”, Shuei-sha
*1989 “Law of the Forest”, Fuso-sha
*1990 “The Work of Keiichi Tanaami”, Sano Gallery
*1991 “Blessing of the Forest”, Sano Gallery
*1992 “100 Images”, Tom’s Box
*1994 “Keiichi Tanaami-Works of Print; 1967-1994”, Kawasaki City Museum::“Hollywood Stardust”, Sanshindo Publishing::“Travel for Memories”, Sanshindo Publishing
*2001 “BLOW UP”, Seigen-sha Art Publishing
*2002 “AMIGOS”, Gallery 360°::“KINGYO”, Amus Arts Press
*2004 “BLOW UP 2”, Seigen-sha Art Publishing::“Dream and Memory”, Studio Warp::“Portrait of Keiichi Tanaami” (1966) Reprinted Edition, Keiichi Tanaami Design Studio::“Keiichi Tanaami – Hyakka Kyoran”, PRINTS 21
*2005 “spiral”, Seigen-sha Art Publishing
*2006 “KAMON”, KING OF MOUNTAIN::“Keiichi Tanaami ggg Books 76”, Ginza Graphic Gallery-Trans Art::“Layers of Keiichi Tanaami”, Kyoto University of Art and Design
*2007 “DAYDREAM”, Graphic-sha

Books of Prints

*1971 “Celluloid Borin In America”, Gallery Décor, Tokyo
*1974 “Pan Cake for Breakfast”, Rippu Shobo
*1986 “Hollywood Stardust”, Image Forum
*1990 “Spiral Forest”, Private Press
*1991 “Celebration of the Forest”, Sano Gallery
*1998 “Variation”, Galerie Vivant

Essay on Films

*1978 “Cine Market of Keiichi Tanaami; Artificial Paradise”, Hachiyo-sha

Joint Authorship

*1996 “100 M Sightseeing – Ideas for Information Design” Coauthor: Masako Inada, Chikuma shobo

Exhibition Catalogue

*1975 “Far From the Film – Keiichi Tanaami”, Image Forum
*1991 “Spiral Forest 2”, Nogizaka Art Hall
*1992 “The World of Keiichi Tanaami”, Ikeda 20th Century Museum
*1994 “Keiichi Tanaami – Works of Drawing and Print”, Irodori Museum
*2002 “Keiichi Tanaami – Animation Catalogue”,　Research Center for Information Design, Kyoto University of Art and Design
*2004 “Weekly TANAAMI”, Keibun-sha Ichijoji-ten

Editorial Design/Art Direction

*1998－2000 “Series: Information Design”, Edit: Kyoto University of Art and Design, Kadokawa Shoten Publishing

DVD

*2002 “TANAAMISM – Magician of Film 1975-2002, Broadway
*2002 “TANAAMISM 2 – Visual Epicureanism 1971-2003, Broadway
*2003 “TANAAMISM”〔DVDBOX〕, Broadway
*2004 “SCRAP DIARY+ANIMACTIONS!!, CREAGE

Film works

*1971 “JAM POT” 16mm color 24mins::“GREEN・RED” 16mm color 12mins::“SHE” 16mm color 8mins::“PUSSY”(2 sides) 16mm color 12mins::“RAINBOW・SCENE”(3 sides) 16mm color 11mins
*1973 “U.F.O” 16mm color 4mins
*1974 “SWEET TOUCH OF LOVE” 16mm color 3mins::“GET BACK ON THE HILL” 16mm color 12mins
*1975 “4・EYES” 16mm color 9mins::“WHY” 16mm color 10mins30sec::“SHOOT THE MOON” 16mm color 8mins::“SPECTACLE” 16mm color 16mins50sec::“PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES” 16mm color 23mins::“LOOK AT THE WOOD” 16mm color 12mins::“Artificial Paradise” 16mm color 14mins::“Human Events” 16mm color 5mins
*1976 “Casa Blanca” 16mm color 9mins42sec
*1977 “Jekyll and Hyde” 16mm color 13mins
*1978 “Frankenstein” 16mm color 11mins::“YOUSHI KEI (Prologue)” 16mm color 11mins12sec::“YOUSHI KEI (Preview)” 16mm color 3mins
*1979 “YOUSHI KEI (Another Rainbow City)” 16mm color 17mins17sec
*1980 “Darkness Luring a Faint” 16mm color 27mins
*1981 “Ryogu-Saishoku” 16mm color 15mins
*1984 “Dream Shape Records” 16mm color 30mins
*2002 “WHY Re-mix 2002” DV color 3mins20sec

Animation Works

*1965 “Marionettes in Masks” 35mm color 8mins
*1966 “Women”(Co-produced with Shigetaka Sawada) 35mm color 7mins
*1971 “GOOD-BY MARILYN” 16mm color 4mina52sec::“GOOD-BY ELVIS and USA” 16mm color 7mins::“FLICKER LOVE NO.1” 16mm color 4mins::“COMMERCIAL WAR” 16mm color 4mins30sec
*1973 “OH! YOKO!” 16mm color 4mins
*1975 “Gentle Friday” 16mm color 3mins::“CRAYON ANGEL” 16mm color 3mins
*2000 “Dark Memories/Shadows of Dream” 16mm color 4mins
*2001 “Breath of Window (Correspondence by Animation)”　16mm color 4mins
*2002 “Scrap Diary” 16mm B&W 4mins::“Gaze in the Summer – 1942” 16mm color 4mins::“Memories (Scene of the Childhood)” 16mm color 3mins15sec::“Walking Man” 16mm color 6mins::“GOLDFISH FETISH” DV color 6mins
*2003 “PUZZLE OF AUTUMN” DV color 8mins::“FETISH DOLL” 16mm color 6mins::“Portrait of Keiichi Tanaami” DV color 6mins
*2004 “LANDSCAPE”　16mm color 4mins25sec::“Ten Nights’ Dreams” 16mm color 6mins
*2005 “TRIP” 16mm color 4mins30sec::“Madonna’s Temptation”　16mm color 4mins::“BLOW UP 2” DV color 8mins::“４・EYES　Re-Mix 2005”　DV color 7mins::“MADONNA” DV color 5mins::“The Harmonic Gleam Vibration” DV color 10mins
*2006 “NOISE” 16mm color 8mins50sec
*2007 “INCH-HIGH SAMURAI” 16mm color 4mins35sec::“DE CHIRICO” 16mm color 4mins30sec

References