Isamu Noguchi, 1968. Russell Lynes, photographer. Russell Lynes papers, 1935-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was among the most innovative American sculptors of the 20th century. His design for “Sculpture to Be Seen from Mars” (1947) anticipates the space age by several decades. Even as he created works that were far ahead of his time, Noguchi frequently found inspiration in ancient art and architecture-from Egyptian pyramids and Buddhist temples to Zen gardens and American Indian burial mounds. “Isamu Noguchi, Archaic/Modern” explores how the ancient world shaped this artist’s vision for the future. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the sole venue for this exhibition, which is expanded from an earlier installation at The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York.
Isamu Noguchi, Age, 1981, basalt. The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble. © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York.
Isamu Noguchi, Atomic Haystack, 1982-83, hot-dipped galvanized steel. The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble. © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York.
“Isamu Noguchi, Archaic/Modern” is on view in the Smithsonian American Art Museum‘s main building from November 11, 2016 through March 19, 2017. Dakin Hart, senior curator at The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York, and Karen Lemmey, curator of sculpture at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, organized the exhibition.
Isamu Noguchi, Lunar Table, 1961-65, granite. The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble. © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York.
Isamu Noguchi, Magic Mountain, 1984, Mikage granite and wood. The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble. © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York.
“Isamu Noguchi-born in Los Angeles, raised and educated in Japan, Indiana, New York and Paris-was among the first American artists to think like a citizen of the world,” said Betsy Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “The exhibition is the latest in a series of major shows to examine the contributions of such international artists as Nam June Paik, Christo, Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Tamayo, and their broad perspectives.”
Isamu Noguchi, Pregnant Bird, 1958, Greek marble. The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble. © The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York.
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