(日本語は下に続きます)
An exhibition of Osuke Shimazaki, an aloof painter, was held at HIRO GALLERY from Feb. 22nd [Mon.] to Mar. 13th [Sat.] 2010.
Osuke Shimazaki was born in 1908 as the third son of Toson Shimazaki, a great literary figure. But when he was 2 years old his mother died and he was separated from Toson. Then he was brought up by his relatives in Kiso-Fukushima, Nagano prefecture. He went back to Toson when he was 13 years old, and began to go to the Kawabata Art School with his brother, Keiji. But the two went through totally opposite paths in their lives. The elder brother Keiji studied abroad in France, then debuted at the art world from his early days and became a popular artist. On the contrary, the younger brother Osuke was devoted to the proletarian art movement of the avant-garde art movement, then went to Germany, and immersed himself in the art movement related to Bauhaus with Koreya Senda and others. He drew the battlefield in China during the war, and compiled the complete collection of Toson Shimazaki after the war. That is why his achievements as a painter had not been made public until 1970.
After the compilation of the complete collection of Toson in 1970, he visited Germany again and painted about 30 pieces of sepia paintings. He made a persistent study of art on his “Note,” the notebooks that reached 164 volumes from 1951 to the end of his life. This sepia expression can be said the culmination of his career as a painter.
Osuke called the sepia “the color of solitude.” Throughout his life, he continually faced something that cannot be ignored such as family, society and art. The sepia is the color he chose to represent his own expression. Osuke’s art theory, spirit and life that should be called his self-portrait are put together on the surface only depicted by “light and darkness” of sepia. On his paintings, we can find tenderness in cruelty and hope in darkness.
In this exhibition, 7 pieces of precious oil paintings from the 30 works made in Germany and 2 drawings were on display.
Venue: HIRO GALLERY
Term: 2010.2.22[Mon.] - 3.13[Sat.] Closed on Sundays
Time: 10:00 - 19:00
Cooperated by Okawa Museum of Art
【Photos provided by Mr. Sosuke Shimazaki】
Osuke Shimazaki Biography
1908 | Born as the third son of Toson Shimazaki in Tokyo. |
1910 | Looked after by the relatives in Kiso-Fukushima, Nagano prefecture. |
1921 | Went back to Toson. And he began to go to the Kawabata Art School with his brother, Keiji next year. |
1925 | Became acquainted with Tomoyoshi Murayama and participated in the proletarian art movement. |
1929 | Moved to Germany and immersed himself in the art movement related to Bauhaus with Koreya Senda and others. |
1944 | Moved to China and sketched mainly the battlefields. |
1945 | His brother Keiji died in the war. He met Taro Okamoto in Hunan, China. |
1948 | Got involved in the editing of the 30-volume“Complete Collection of Toson Shimazaki” published by Shinchosha. After that, until the dust settles of the compilation of the complete collection in 1970, he had been swamped with the arrangement of his father Toson’s massive amount of data and unpublished manuscripts. From this year, he began to write “Note” to inquire into thought and art. |
1963 | In a private magazine group of poems, “Rekitei,” he exerted himself to establish “Rekitei Award.” |
1970 | Stayed in Germany for about a half year and made the works of landscapes in Germany. He finished about 30 works. |
1971 | Corrected the works made in Germany in the previous year, and the only one-man show during his lifetime, “Osuke Shimazaki Solo Exhibition,” was held at Yanagiya Gallery in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. |
1979 | Exhibited in “Tsunao Aida Exhibition.” |
1992 | Passed away due to heart failure. He was 83 years old. |
2002 | “-Phantom Artist who didn’t draw- Osuke Shimazaki Exhibition of Posthumous Works” was held at Okawa Museum of Art. |
Related images 関連写真
2010年2月22日(月) - 3月13日(土)に、孤高の画家・島崎蓊助(1908-1992)展を東京・銀座ヒロ画廊にて開催いたしました。
島崎蓊助は1908年に文豪・島崎藤村の三男として生まれました。しかし母の死を契機に2歳で藤村のもとを離れ、長野県・木曽福島の親戚の手で育てられます。13歳で藤村のもとに戻り、兄の鶏二と共に川端画学校に通いますが、二人は対照的な道を歩むことになります。兄鶏二はフランスへ留学、その後画檀にて早くより人気作家となり華々しい活躍をしますが、弟の蓊助は戦前には前衛芸術革命のプロレタリア美術運動に傾倒、その後ドイツに渡り千田是也らとバウハウス周辺の芸術運動に没頭します。戦時中は中国の戦場を描き、戦後は藤村全集の編纂と、その画業が公に評価されるのは全集の編纂に区切りが付く1970年を待つことになります。
藤村全集の編纂を終えた蓊助は1970年にドイツを再訪し、セピア色の作品を約30点描き上げました。自らの画業の集大成と言えるこのセピアでの表現は、1951年から書き初め、生涯で実に164冊を数えた『ノオト』におけるあくなき芸術研究の到達点といえます。
蓊助はこのセピアを「孤独の色」と呼びました。家族、社会、芸術と逃げることのできない大きなものに対して常に真剣に挑み続けた作家が、自らの表現を託すためにたどり着いた色です。セピア色の「光と闇」のみで描かれた画面には、蓊助の芸術論、自画像と呼ぶべき精神と軌跡が集約され、厳しさの中にある優しさ、闇の中にある希望をみることが出来ます。
本展では、1970年にドイツにて制作されたセピア作品約30点から油彩7点と、ドローイング2点を紹介いたしました。ご来場誠にありがとうございました。
会場:ヒロ画廊
会期:2010年2月22日(月) - 3月13日(土) ※日曜休廊
時間:10:00 - 19:00
(協力:大川美術館)
作品キャプション(上から)
スライダー画像キャプション(左から順に)
【写真提供:島崎爽助氏】
島崎蓊助 略歴
1908 | 島崎藤村の三男として東京に生まれる。 |
1910 | 長野・木曽福島の親戚に預けられる。 |
1921 | 父、藤村の元へ戻る。翌年、兄鶏二とともに川端画学校に通い始める。 |
1925 | 村山知義と知り合い、プロレタリア美術運動へ参加。 |
1929 | ドイツへ渡り、千田是也らとバウハウス周辺の芸術運動に没頭。 |
1944 | 中国に渡り、主に戦場のスケッチを行う。 |
1945 | 兄鶏二が戦死。湖南省にて岡本太郎と出会う。 |
1948 | 新潮社『島崎藤村全集』(全19巻)の編集に携る。以後、全集の編纂にめどが立つ1970年まで父・藤村の残した膨大な資料や未発表の原稿の整理に追われることとなる。この年から思想・美術研究のための「ノオト」を書き始める。 |
1963 | 詩の同人グループ「歴程」において、「歴程賞」の創設に尽力。 |
1970 | ドイツ・ハンブルクに約半年滞在し、ドイツ風景の作品制作を行う。約30点の作品を完成させる。 |
1971 | 前年のハンブルクでの作品に手を加え、生前唯一の個展となる「島崎蓊助個展」が東京・日本橋の柳屋画廊にて開催される。 |
1979 | 「会田綱雄作品展」に作品を出品する。 |
1992 | 心不全のため83歳で逝去。 |
2002 | 大川美術館にて「描かざる幻の画家 島崎蓊助 遺作展」が開催される。 |