Shiro Kuramata made some of the most intriguing Post-modern furniture designs, with a narrative and visual clarity that defines the era even as it transcends the mid-century moment. His work questions the rigidity of Modernism without falling into direct uncontrolled kitsch.
A exhibition at Wright Auction House in New York titled Shiro Kuramata and Hiroshi Sugimoto: Works from the Absent Past focuses on the narratives that inspired the Japanese designer. The furniture is shown alongside work by the artist Sugimoto to illustrate how both were inspired by some of the same influences.
The exhibition specifically cites Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s 1933 work In Praise of Shadows, a book that both men explicitly reference. The two bodies of work explore many of the same themes such as light and shadow. Kuramata in particular manipulated forms to bring new life to everyday materials.
The sensation of floating, or of transparency that is unexpected and juxtaposed with seemingly thick volumes make Kuramata’s work typically Post-modern. The works in the exhibition will be on sale in Chicago January 29, 2015 at 12 pm CT. Several of Kuramata’s works have brought in huge sums, including “Miss Blanche,” which sold for almost £50,000 ($75,000) in 1997.
Works from the Absent Past will be on view at 980 Madison Avenue in New York from January 6 – January 29, 2015.
