Toki no Wasuremono

WARHOL―underground america
Dec 12 Tues. - Dec 28 Sat. 2017
GALLERY CLOSED ON SUNDAY and MONDAY.

“Underground,” a word that rocked the ‘60s, was used to name a new trend, “underground cinema”. These were starkly different from the commercial Hollywood projects of the time; the first man who introduced to Japan films by Jonas MEKAS and Andy WARHOL seeking this different kind of cinematic beauty was the film critic Kenji KANESAKA. KANESAKA was himself a filmmaker and left behind many photographs as well. Although he has been left largely forgotten since his death, we would like to present a retrospective of the ‘60s-’70s that KANESAKA leaves in books and photographs, along with his portraits of Andy WARHOL.
From 15:00 every day, we will be screening「this side of paradise」, a film by Jonas MEKAS.
　Fee：500 yen
　（Proceeds will be sent to the Anthology Film Archives）

■Kenji KANESAKA（1934-1999）
Filmmaker, critic, photographer. Born in 1934 in Tokyo, Japan. Graduated 1957 from Keio University, Faculty of Literature, Department of English Literature. Hired the International Department of Shochiku Film and assigned to be interpreter for the president (Shiro KIDO); became acquainted with underground filmmakers while participating in Harvard University international seminars, then took a sabbatical from Shochiku to attend Northwestern University for one year as a Fulbright scholar. He left school after finishing the film “America, America, America,” then returned to Japan, and in 1966 finished the film “Hopscotch.” In 1964, he collaborated with Takahiko IIMURA, Koichiro ISHIZAKI, Nobuhiko OBAYASHI, Yoichi TAKABAYASHI, Shigechika SATO, Donald RICHIE, Masao ADACHI to found the experimental film group “Film Independent.”

■ Jonas MEKAS（1922-）
Jonas Mekas (born 1922) is a Lithuanian filmmaker, writer, and curator who has often been called "the godfather of American avant-garde cinema." He was the founder of the Anthology Film Archives, The Film Makers Cooperative and Film Culture magazine. He was heavily involved with artists such as Andy Warhol, Nico, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Salvador Dali and fellow Lithuanian George Maciunas. During the Second World War, Mekas was held in displaced persons camps before emigrating to the United States with his brother, Adolfas Mekas, in 1949.

■Andy WARHOL(1928-1987)
Born August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh under the name of “Andrew Warhola.” He graduated in 1949 from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. His first solo exhibition was held 1952 at Hugo Gallery, New York, showing his drawings. In 1956, Warhol embarked on a six-week round-the-world trip with a friend, which also led him to Japan. Following Marilyn Monroe’s death on August 5, 1962, he created his iconic “Marilyn” in the same year. Since 1963 he was also active as a film maker, and survived an assassination attempt in 1968. Warhol came a second time to Japan in 1974, for his solo exhibition at the Daimaru Department Store. He died in 1987.

View more information here (PC website)