77R-‘84 1984

Atsuko Tanaka made this unnamed painting in 1984 with enamel and vinyl adhesive on canvas. Tanaka was a member of the Gutai Art Association, a radical and influential group of post-war Japanese artists. Her work often explored the relationship between the human body, clothing, and technology. Tanaka became well-known for her "Electric Dress" of 1956, a wearable sculpture made of light bulbs and electrical wiring. Tanaka’s paintings translate the language of circuits, maps and diagrams to canvas and explore the ever increasing presence of technology in our lives. The Gutai group rejected traditional art forms and embraced experimentation, performance, and a direct engagement with materials. To better understand Tanaka’s work, resources on post-war Japanese art, the Gutai Art Association, and the history of technology in art would be very helpful. What do you make of the relationship between our bodies and technological innovations?