From Postwar to Postmodern, Art in Japan, 1945-1989

"Among the most significant changes to have occurred in our appreciation and understanding of post-war Japanese art is to no longer view it in isolation, but rather to view it as part of a larger international discourse. This volume will make a significant contribution to the field, and will be among the most critical resources available in English for new scholarship. For future generations, it will immensely enhance the understanding of contemporary Japanese art as a phenomenon that has both contributed to and participated in the globalization of art." - Paul Schimmel, Chief Curator, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and author of Out of Actions: Between Performance and the Object, 1949 –1979

"We have never really known Japan like this: From Postwar to Postmodern reveals a bracingly innovative, multifarious, and thoroughly international cultural sphere. A nuanced survey of primary texts betrays a roiling milieu in which form and content, modernism and tradition, realism and abstraction, things (mono) and ideas (koto) were hotly debated amid a historically specific context of violence, guilt, and trauma. New ways of working—from Gutai and Jikken Kobo’s intermedia experiments to collaborations in performance, architecture, and other disciplines—informed advanced art both within and beyond Japan. This book greatly enriches a discourse that is still unfolding today." - Michelle Kuo, Editor in Chief, Artforum

“A masterpiece of organization. . . . An appreciation for the quality, variety and subtlety of thought demonstrated in the vast majority of chosen texts has been made possible by superb translators (and their editors). . . . A fine anthology.” - Don J. Cohn, ArtAsiaPacific

“From Postwar to Postmodern will serve as both an outstanding textbook and a welcome resource for scholars of Japanese visual culture, literature, and film. …As the first comprehensive translation of primary sources on postwar Japanese Art, this important collection fills a pedagogical niche and opens the field beyond a small community of specialists who are proficient in Japanese.”  - Ming Tiampo, Monumenta Nipponica

“A must-have for art fans curious about the explosion of creative fervor in a country that only a decade before had been devastated by war and the atomic bomb.” - Hrag Vartanian, Hyperallergic

“A trove of primary source materials, From Postwar to Postmodern is an invaluable scholarly resource for readers who wish to explore the fascinating subject of avant-garde art in post-war Japan.”  - Asian Art

“[A] meticulous and thorough work. . . . It will be indispensable for collections with a Japanese focus, and a very important acquisition for libraries serving all levels of readers. . . . Highly recommended.” - J. B. Gregory, Choice

“This is an incredible resource for anyone serious about contemporary Japanese art and undertaking a study of the ideas, movements and manifestos that sprang from both city streets and private salons.” - Jessica Sattell, JQ Magazine

“Its value as a key to 20th century Japanese art is immediately apparent . . . From Postwar to Postmodern, weighty as a sculpture, is a welcome addition to my ookshelves devoted to Japan.”     - Mike Mosher, Leonardo Reviews