Isamu Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi (November 17, 1904 – December 30, 1988) was an American artist of Japanese descent. He is most famous for his abstract sculpture and public art, but also created furniture and stage designs and landscape architecture. The son of a Japanese father and an American mother, his work shows influence of both western and eastern art.

During World War II, Noguchi chose to enter the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona. He hoped to improve life there through art, parks, and public spaces, but most of his plans were never carried out.

Work

Noguchi did not limit sculpture to objects shown in museums. He designed gardens, playgrounds, furniture, lamps and theatre sets. In 1935, he made his first stage design for the dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. For her dance Frontier, he used only a few objects and a long rope to suggest a much larger space. He continued to design sets and props for Graham's dances for many years.

In 1951, Noguchi visited Gifu, Japan, a city known for paper lanterns. He began making the Akari series from mulberry paper, bamboo and wire. The lamps were useful sources of light, but Noguchi also thought of them as sculptures. The Japanese word akari means “light”. His work joined traditional Japanese materials with modern design and made art part of everyday rooms.

References

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