Anarchy of the Body: Undercurrents of Performance Art in 1960s Japan

This encyclopedic book examines the history of performances by obscure Japanese artists in Japan from 1957 to 1970, with focus on the Anti-art movement in Japan in the 1960s. The book aims to place those artists in the cultural and political context of the anarchist tendencies of that era in Japan, which also manifested themselves in the contemporary counter-culture and political activism. The book consists of four sections. The first section points out the absence of performance art in the discussion of Japanese art history and art criticism and discusses the cause of such neglect. The second and third section presents the history of Japanese performance arts by documenting performance groups, art movements, and individual performance artists. The fourth section provides an analysis of political, cultural, and social backgrounds to the Anti-art performances and what it infers today. This book also includes photographs of performances, an index of artists, artist groups, and other items, and a chronological table of events spanning 30 years from 1945 to 1975. — Testi: Kuroda Raiji. F.to: 15,5x21; pagg. 768; BN; rileg. rigida con sovraccoperta. Editore: Grambooks, 2010.