SHINKICHI TAJIRI
EARLY PLASTER
"The first series of sculptures that I felt made a personal statement, were the iron and plaster pieces that date from 1948. These were shown at the CoBrA Exhibitions, 1949 and 1952." - Shinkichi Tajiri
Tajiri spent most of his time in his studio, where he made various warriors in plaster. What is striking about these sculptures is that the open spaces are just as important as the actual, tangible work. Although curved lines are initially the dominant element, Tajiri introduces more and more sharp protrusions, whereby, albeit yet rudimentary, something of the aggressiveness of his later sculptures emerges.
text: H. Bavelaar, Shinkichi Tajiri, Monografieën van
Nederlandse kunstenaar, SDU Publishers, 1990
photo above: Working on Warrior/Guerrier, plaster
© Sabine Weiss, Paris 1949
Plaster, Studio in Montparnasse, rue d’Odessa photo: © Sabine Weiss
Plaster, 1949
Paris 1949
Tajiri in Paris on his way from Montparnasse to Gallery 8 in Saint-Germain-des-Prés where work from ex-GI’s was being shown. photo: © Lisa Larsen
Studio on rue d'Odessa, Paris
Tajiri hall at the 2nd International Exhibition of Experimental Art (CoBrA), Palais des Beaux Arts in Liége, Belgium 1951
Plaster, h. 200 cm. Constant and Tajiri at the 2nd International Exhibition of Experimental Art (CoBrA) at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Liége, Belgium 1951
Tajiri hall at the 2nd International Exhibition of Experimental Art (CoBrA), Palais des Beaux Arts in Liége, Belgium 1951
Studio on rue d'Odessa, Paris 1952 photo: © Guy Bourdin