Ei-Q
Encyclopedia
was a renowned Japan
ese artist
who worked in a variety of media, including photography and engraving.
Ei-Q, whose early work was done under his real name of Hideo Sugita , was born in Miyazaki-machi (now Miyazaki City
), Miyazaki Prefecture
on 28 April 1911. In 1925 Sugita entered an art school in Tokyo to study western-style painting, and his criticism of western art started appearing in the art magazines Atelier and Mizue in 1927, in which year he also left the school. In 1930 he entered a photography school and from then on pursued both painting and photography and more particularly photogram
s, first experimenting briefly with these in 1930, then dropping them in pursuit of painting, and then returning to them in 1936.
Ei-Q was influenced by the Surrealist
aesthetic and also published essays promoting photography as an art form independent of painting. This did not imply a rejection of painting, and he worked toward what in 1935 he termed photo-dessins, a fusion of photograms and paintings. A first collection of these, published in an edition of 40 in 1936 as Nemuri no riyū , took him to the forefront of the Japanese avant garde. Akiko Okatsuka rates Ei-Q (as he had named himself in 1935), together with Sutezō Otono, as standing out among the many Japanese exponents of photograms, unlike the majority able to use them for expressive rather than merely playful ends. Ei-Q also contributed photograms and photography criticism to Photo Times. (Ei-Q also became an enthusiastic proponent of Esperanto
at about the same time.)
Ei-Q set up the art organization Jiyū Bijutsu Kyōkai ( in 1937; this lasted until 1951.
Ei-Q was able to resume his work after the war and in 1951 set up the group Democratic Artists Association in Osaka. Membership was by invitation only, but the idea was to promote the free expression of members, who included woodblock artists, designers, photographers and others. On Ei-Q's move from Osaka to Urawa
later in the same year, the group set up a branch in nearby Tokyo as well; Eikoh Hosoe
and Takeji Iwamiya
then joined. The Association lasted until 1957, holding exhibitions of its works.
Also in 1951 Ei-Q started etching and lithography; he would continue exploring new art media until his death.
Ei-Q was also active in art education, in 1952 setting up Sōzō Biiku Kyōkai .
Ei-Q died on 10 March 1960.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
who worked in a variety of media, including photography and engraving.
Ei-Q, whose early work was done under his real name of Hideo Sugita , was born in Miyazaki-machi (now Miyazaki City
Miyazaki, Miyazaki
is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...
), Miyazaki Prefecture
Miyazaki Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Miyazaki.- History :Historically, after the Meiji Restoration, Hyūga Province was renamed Miyazaki Prefecture....
on 28 April 1911. In 1925 Sugita entered an art school in Tokyo to study western-style painting, and his criticism of western art started appearing in the art magazines Atelier and Mizue in 1927, in which year he also left the school. In 1930 he entered a photography school and from then on pursued both painting and photography and more particularly photogram
Photogram
A photogram is a photographic image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a photo-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The result is a negative shadow image varying in tone, depending on the transparency of the objects used...
s, first experimenting briefly with these in 1930, then dropping them in pursuit of painting, and then returning to them in 1936.
Ei-Q was influenced by the Surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
aesthetic and also published essays promoting photography as an art form independent of painting. This did not imply a rejection of painting, and he worked toward what in 1935 he termed photo-dessins, a fusion of photograms and paintings. A first collection of these, published in an edition of 40 in 1936 as Nemuri no riyū , took him to the forefront of the Japanese avant garde. Akiko Okatsuka rates Ei-Q (as he had named himself in 1935), together with Sutezō Otono, as standing out among the many Japanese exponents of photograms, unlike the majority able to use them for expressive rather than merely playful ends. Ei-Q also contributed photograms and photography criticism to Photo Times. (Ei-Q also became an enthusiastic proponent of Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
at about the same time.)
Ei-Q set up the art organization Jiyū Bijutsu Kyōkai ( in 1937; this lasted until 1951.
Ei-Q was able to resume his work after the war and in 1951 set up the group Democratic Artists Association in Osaka. Membership was by invitation only, but the idea was to promote the free expression of members, who included woodblock artists, designers, photographers and others. On Ei-Q's move from Osaka to Urawa
Urawa, Saitama
was a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, until it merged into the city of Saitama together with two other cities, Omiya and Yono, on May 1, 2001. In 2003, the former area of Urawa became Urawa-ku, Midori-ku, Minami-ku, and Sakura-ku, which are wards of the city of Saitama...
later in the same year, the group set up a branch in nearby Tokyo as well; Eikoh Hosoe
Eikoh Hosoe
is a Japanese photographer and filmmaker who emerged in the experimental arts movement of post-World War II Japan. He is known for his psychologically charged images, often exploring subjects such as death, erotic obsession, and irrationality...
and Takeji Iwamiya
Takeji Iwamiya
was a Japanese photographer particularly known for his depiction of architecture, gardens, and Japanese crafts.-Career:Iwamiya was born on 4 January 1920 in Yonago, Tottori, the second son of parents running a shop selling traditional confectionery...
then joined. The Association lasted until 1957, holding exhibitions of its works.
Also in 1951 Ei-Q started etching and lithography; he would continue exploring new art media until his death.
Ei-Q was also active in art education, in 1952 setting up Sōzō Biiku Kyōkai .
Ei-Q died on 10 March 1960.
Exhibitions
- "Ei-Q photo-dessins" . 1936.
- "Ei-Q photo-dessins" . 1951.
- "Dai ikkai Tōkyō kokusai hanga biennāre-ten" . 1957.
- "Ei-Q kaiko-ten" . 1970.
- "Modanizumu no kōseki: Onchi Kōshirō, Ei-Q" / "Traces of Light in Modernism: Koshiro Onchi, Osamu Shiihara and Ei-Kyu". National Museum of Modern Art, TokyoNational Museum of Modern Art, TokyoThe in Tokyo, Japan, is the foremost museum collecting and exhibiting contemporary Japanese art.This Tokyo museum is also known by the English acronym MOMAT...
, February–March 1997. The work of Kōshirō Onchi, Osamu Shiihara, and Ei-Q. - "Demokurāto 1951–1957: Kaihō sareta sengo bijutsu" . Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, August–October 1999.
- "Ei-Q no himitsu-ten: Āto ni deau natsu" vol. 2. Fukuoka Art MuseumFukuoka Art MuseumFukuoka Art Museum is an encyclopedic art museum in Fukuoka, Japan. It contains a notable collection of Asian art and exhibits various temporary exhibitions - in November 2010 it hosted a large exhibition of Marc Chagall's work.-External links:*...
(FukuokaFukuokaFukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
), July–August 2000. - "Ei-Q, Ay-O, Ikeda Masuo" Sayama Shiritsu Hakubutsukan (SayamaSayama, Saitama, formerly known as Irumagawa, is a city located in Saitama, Japan. Sayama translates as "sitting on a mountain”. The city was founded on July 1, 1954....
), October–December 2000. An exhibition of Ei-Q, Ay-OAy-Ois a Japanese artist, who has been associated with Fluxus since its international beginnings in the 1960s.-From Democrato to Fluxus:Probably, the best reference to understand the early years of Ay-O is the autobiographical retrospective book in the references "Ay-O, Over the Rainbow, Ay-O...
and Masuo IkedaMasuo Ikedawas a Japanese painter, printmaker, illustrator, sculptor, ceramist, novelist, and film director from Nagano Prefecture.-Awards:*Ikeda won the Akutagawa Prize for Offering In The Aegean .-External links:*...
. - "Urawa gaka to sono jidai: Terauchi Manjirō, Ei-Q, Takada Makoto o chūshin ni" . Urawa Art Museum (UrawaUrawa, Saitamawas a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, until it merged into the city of Saitama together with two other cities, Omiya and Yono, on May 1, 2001. In 2003, the former area of Urawa became Urawa-ku, Midori-ku, Minami-ku, and Sakura-ku, which are wards of the city of Saitama...
), 2000. Catalogue of the opening exhibition of the museum, on the painters of UrawaUrawa, Saitamawas a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, until it merged into the city of Saitama together with two other cities, Omiya and Yono, on May 1, 2001. In 2003, the former area of Urawa became Urawa-ku, Midori-ku, Minami-ku, and Sakura-ku, which are wards of the city of Saitama...
, and particularly Manjirō Terauchi, Ei-Q, and Makoto Takada. - "Ei-Q foto-dessan-ten" / "Ei-Q Photo Dessin". National Museum of Art, OsakaNational Museum of Art, OsakaThe is a subterranean Japanese art museum located on the island of Nakanoshima, located between the Dōjima River and the Tosabori River, about 5 minutes west of Higobashi Station in central Osaka....
(SuitaSuita, Osakais a city located in northern Osaka, Japan. As of August 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 356,751 and the density of 9,880 persons per km². The total area is 36.11 km²....
), October–December 2005. - "Ei-Q-ten" . Kawagoe Gallery, February 2006.
- "Ei-Q to sono shūhen" . Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts (MachidaMachida, Tokyois a city located in the western part of the greater metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. The city was founded on February 1, 1958.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 424,669 and a population density of 5,928.65 persons per km². The total area is 71.63 km²...
), June–September 2008. - "Ei-Q-ten" . Kawagoe Gallery, September 2008.
Works in permanent collections
Works by Ei-Q are in the permanent collections of the following institutions:- Ashiya City Museum of Art and History (AshiyaAshiya, Hyogois a city founded on November 10, 1940 located in Hyōgo, Japan, between the cities of Osaka and Kobe.-Demographics:As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 93,094 and the density of 5,030 persons per km². The total area is 18.47 km²...
) - Fukuoka Art MuseumFukuoka Art MuseumFukuoka Art Museum is an encyclopedic art museum in Fukuoka, Japan. It contains a notable collection of Asian art and exhibits various temporary exhibitions - in November 2010 it hosted a large exhibition of Marc Chagall's work.-External links:*...
(Fukuoka CityFukuokaFukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
); 45 photo-dessins. - Homma Museum of Art (SakataSakata, Yamagatais a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.As of 2006, the city has an estimated population of 116,883 and the population density of 193.92 persons per km². The total area is 602.74 km².-History:The city was founded on April 1, 1933...
). - Mie Prefectural Art Museum (TsuTsu, Mieis the capital of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The city of Tsu is located on Ise Bay, east of the city. Tsu is bounded to the north by Suzuka and Kameyama; to the west by Iga, Nabari, and Nara Prefecture; and to the south by Matsuzaka city.-History:...
). - Miyagi Museum of Art (Sendai)
- Miyakonojo City Museum of Art (MiyakonojoMiyakonojo, Miyazakiis a city located in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 1924. On January 1, 2006 the towns of Takajō, Takazaki, Yamada and Yamanokuchi merged into the city. As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 169,384 and a population density of 259 per km²...
). - Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum (Miyazaki CityMiyazaki, Miyazakiis the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...
) - Nagashima Museum (Kagoshima CityKagoshima, Kagoshimais the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin...
). - Niigata City Art Museum (Niigata CityNiigata, Niigatais the capital and the most populous city of Niigata Prefecture, Japan. It lies on the northwest coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and faces the Sea of Japan and Sado Island....
). - Okawa Museum of ArtOkawa Museum of ArtThe is an art gallery in Kiryū, Gunma Prefecture, Japan that concentrates on modern Japanese art.The gallery, which opened in April 1989, presents the collection of the businessman and writer Eiji Ōkawa , who was born in Kiryū, and has about 6500 items. At its core are about eighty works by...
(KiryūKiryu, Gunmais a city in Gunma, Japan, near the cities of Ōta and Ashikaga. Incorporated on March 1, 1921, Kiryū is considered both a city and part of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area, although it is still widely thought of as a rural area...
). - Museum of Modern Art, Saitama (Saitama CitySaitama, Saitama' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
); 98 photo-dessins and five photo collages. - Takamatsu City Museum of Art (TakamatsuTakamatsu, Kagawais a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...
). - Tokushima Modern Art Museum (Tokushima CityTokushima, Tokushimais the capital city of Tokushima Prefecture on Shikoku island in Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 263,372, with 114,325 households, and a population density of 1,377.25 persons per km². Its total area is 191.23 km²....
) - Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of PhotographyTokyo Metropolitan Museum of PhotographyThe is an art museum focused on photography. The museum was founded by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and is located in Meguro-ku, a short walk from Ebisu station in southwest Tokyo...
- Museum of Contemporary Art, TokyoMuseum of Contemporary Art, TokyoThe is a contemporary art museum in Tokyo, Japan. The museum is located in Kiba Park. It was opened in 1995.- Prominent exhibits :*Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol *Girl with Hair Ribbon by Roy Lichtenstein -External links:* website...
. - Toneyama Kōjin Kinen Bijutsukan ' onMouseout='HidePop("15639")' href="/topics/Kitakami,_Iwate">KitakamiKitakami, Iwateis a city located in Iwate Prefecture on the main island of Japan.- History :The first city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1954.The current and the second city of Kitakami was founded on April 1, 1991 when the first city merged with the villages of Ezuriko and Waga .- Sightseeing :The city is...
). - Urawa Art Museum (UrawaUrawa, Saitamawas a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, until it merged into the city of Saitama together with two other cities, Omiya and Yono, on May 1, 2001. In 2003, the former area of Urawa became Urawa-ku, Midori-ku, Minami-ku, and Sakura-ku, which are wards of the city of Saitama...
) - Museum of Modern Art, Wakayama (Wakayama CityWakayama, Wakayamais the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan.-Background:Wakayama occupies 4% of the land area and has 40% of Wakayama prefecture's population. The city was founded on April 1, 1889....
) - Yokohama Museum of ArtYokohama Museum of ArtYokohama Museum of Art , founded in 1989, is located in the futuristic Minato Mirai 21 district of Yokohama city next to the Yokohama Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan.-The collections:...
(YokohamaYokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
). - Yokosuka Museum of Art (YokosukaYokosuka, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
).
Books by and of Ei-Q
- Ei-Q. Nemuri no riyū: Ei-Q-shi fotodessan sakuhinshū (. Geijutsugaku Kenkyūkai, 1936.
- Ei-Q and Kiyomi Shimazaki . Dōbanga no tsukurikata (. Tokyo: Mon Shoten, 1956. An introductory practical book about etching.
- Mitsuharu Yamada . Ei-Q: Hyōden to sakuhin . Tokyo: Seiryūdō, 1976.
- Ei-Q-shi fotodessan-ten (. Fukuoka: Fukuoka Art Museum, 1978.
- Ei-Q-ten: Gendai bijutsu no chichi . N.p.: Ei-Q-ten Kaisai Iinkai, 1979.
- Sadajirō Kubo . Ei-Q to nakama-tachi . Kubo Sadajirō Bijutsu no Sekai 2. Tokyo: Sōbunsha, 1985. ISBN 4-88582-821-X.
- Ei-Q to sono shūhen . Tokyo: Yomiuri Shinbunsha, 1986. Catalogue of an exhibition, held at the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama and elsewhere, of the work of Ei-Q and his circle.
- Ei-Q foto-dessan-ten . Tokyo: Asahi Shinbunsha, 1987. Catalogue of an exhibition of Ei-Q's photo-dessins.
- Ei-Q to sono nakama-tachi-ten . Machida, Tokyo: Machida City Museum of Graphic Art, 1988. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Machida City Museum of Graphic Art in 1988.
- Ei-Q-ten: Yusai, foto-dessan, hanga . Itami: Itami City Museum of Art, 1990. Catalogue of an exhibition of Ei-Q's oil paintings, photo-dessins and wood block prints held at the Itami City Museum of Art.
- Ei-Q sakuhinshū . Tokyo: Nihon Keizai Shinbun-sha, 1997. ISBN 4-532-12309-7. A collection of the work of Ei-Q.
- Hikari no kaseki: Ei-Q to fotoguramu no sekai . Urawa: Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, 1997. Catalogue of an exhibition of Ei-Q's photograms.
- Modanizumu no kōseki: Onchi Kōshirō, Ei-Q ) / Traces of Light in Modernism: Koshiro Onchi, Osamu Shiihara and Ei-Kyu. Tokyo: National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 1997. Catalogue of an exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, TokyoNational Museum of Modern Art, TokyoThe in Tokyo, Japan, is the foremost museum collecting and exhibiting contemporary Japanese art.This Tokyo museum is also known by the English acronym MOMAT...
of the work of Kōshirō Onchi, Osamu Shiihara, and Ei-Q. - Ei-Q no himitsu-ten: Āto ni deau natsu vol. 2. Fukuoka: Fukuoka Art Museum, 2000.
- Urawa gaka to sono jidai: Terauchi Manjirō, Ei-Q, Takada Makoto o chūshin ni . Urawa, Saitama: Urawa Art Museum, 2000. Catalogue of the opening exhibition of Urawa Art Museum, on the painters of UrawaUrawa, Saitamawas a city in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, until it merged into the city of Saitama together with two other cities, Omiya and Yono, on May 1, 2001. In 2003, the former area of Urawa became Urawa-ku, Midori-ku, Minami-ku, and Sakura-ku, which are wards of the city of Saitama...
, and particularly Manjirō Terauchi, Ei-Q, and Makoto Takada. - Ei-Q kara no tegami . Ei-Q Bijutsukan, 2000.
- Masaomi Sugita . Chichi . Miyazaki 21-seki Bunko 27. Miyazaki: Kōmyakusha, 2000. ISBN 4-906008-51-8. A book about Ei-Q by his son.
- Hirofumi Wada. Ei-Q, Shimozato Yoshio: renzu no avangyarudo . Vol. 14 of Korekushon Nihon shūrurearisumu . Tokyo: Hon no Tomo-sha, 2001. ISBN 4-89439-294-1. On Ei-Q, Yoshio Shimozato, and surrealism in Japanese photography.
- Ei-Q foto-dessan-ten . Suita, Osaka: National Museum of Art, Osaka, 2005. Catalogue of an exhibition held at the National Museum of Art, OsakaNational Museum of Art, OsakaThe is a subterranean Japanese art museum located on the island of Nakanoshima, located between the Dōjima River and the Tosabori River, about 5 minutes west of Higobashi Station in central Osaka....
of Ei-Q's photo-dessins.
External links
- Chronology, Okawa Museum of Art.