Makishi Tsutomu's Political Pop Examined as Translation Strategy for Okinawan Realities

In her 2018 essay, Hiroko Ikegami delivers the first thorough examination of Makishi Tsutomu (1941–2015), an Okinawan artist who utilized American Pop Art to illustrate the intricacies of US-occupied Okinawa. The focus is on his 1972 piece, Commemorating the Reversion to the Great Empire of Japan, highlighting how Makishi's Political Pop served as a vital translation method. The artist critiqued both American and Japanese imperialism, acknowledging Okinawa's deep connections to these forces, especially during the Vietnam War, a time marked by violence and economic gain. Despite employing Pop Art as a modern universal language, his work remained largely unrecognized beyond Okinawa due to his local exhibition methods. The essay also draws parallels between his work and Ōshiro Tatsuhiro's 1967 novella The Cocktail Party, situating Makishi's contributions within the context of the emerging global neo-avant-garde movement. This analysis, published on June 5, 2018, explores how Makishi navigated Okinawa's political landscape through borrowed visual languages while maintaining a critical stance towards the imperial frameworks he portrayed.