Contemporary Japanese Sculpture

This book — the first overview of contemporary Japanese sculpture in any language — examines the vigor and originality of three‑dimensional art in postwar Japan. In contemporary abstract Japanese sculpture, Koplos perceives echoes of the Shinto religion's emphasis on purity and reverence for natural beauty, as well as the Buddhist sense of the interconnectedness of all things. This richly illustrated, intriguing survey showcases an art that fuses Western, international and East Asian influences into uniquely poetic and philosophical statements. Koplos first scans the kinetic sculpture, environments and paintings of the 1950s Gutai movement, and the “innocent'' vision of Mono‑ha, Japan's late-'60s version of minimalism. She then profiles more than 90 contemporary sculptors, aided by 128 color and black‑and‑white reproductions.