Postwar Japanese Critics Reinterpreted Materialist Aesthetics in Abstract Art

In the 1950s, Japanese art critics started to notice a shift towards a materialist approach in informal abstraction from the U.S. and France, which differed from North American notions of individual freedom linked to Abstract Expressionism. Key figures in this discussion include Miyakawa Atsushi, Haryū Ichirō, and Segi Shinichi, who pointed out the political aspects of materials in postwar Japanese art critique. This conversation significantly influenced the avant-garde movements that emerged in Japan during the 1960s. An article by Pedro Erber, published on February 5, 2013, in MIT Press and originally on ARTMargins Online, examines how these critics interpreted artistic movements, underlining their political significance. The emphasis on materiality became crucial for future artistic developments, presenting a distinctive Japanese perspective.