TANAKA ATSUKO

• TANAKA ATSUKO was a major figure of the Gutai Art Association, a leading force in the postwar Japanese avant-garde. She joined Gutai in 1955 and, in 1956, presented Electric Dress, incorporating approximately 200 light bulbs and tubes. This work marked a turning point in her practice, leading her to develop a distinctive pictorial language centered on circles and lines. The circles are derived from the light bulbs, while the lines recall the electrical cords connecting them, linking and extending across the picture plane. Tanaka placed her canvases on the floor and worked with her entire body to apply lines in synthetic resin enamel paint, incorporating physical movement directly into the painting. The vivid colors and intricate networks of circles and lines transform invisible forces such as electricity, light, and movement into a visual language, generating a continual sense of motion and tension within the static picture plane.