More

We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set other cookies to remember your settings, measure website use and inform our marketing. We also use content from other sites in our pages, and those sites may also set cookies. More information can be found in our cookies policy.

Epilogue: Tanaami’s Cabinet　

The final section showcases the many collaborative projects for which Tanaami has served as art director over the past 60-plus years, including books, records, and merchandise. Tanaami believes that “all acts of creation are essentially editing and design,” and has fully embraced this philosophy in his collaborations, establishing himself as an interdisciplinary polymath of design and art. In recent years, he has partnered with global fashion brands and enterprises including Mary Quant, adidas, Ground Y, and Barbie as well as with musicians, joining forces with people of younger generations. Tanaami describes these collaborations as exhilarating experiences that yield results beyond his own imaginings, stating: “These projects are fascinating because they synthesize my own works with all manner of endeavors, taking me into worlds utterly different from those I usually create.” In the 1960s, feeling stifled by the art world’s principle of the supremacy of unique, original paintings, Tanaami adopted duplicative techniques and design methodologies to reach a broader audience. As a result, the embrace of commercial art forms and widespread distribution of his work have been consistent practices throughout his career. For Tanaami, these collaborations are not merely commissions to be completed, but creative acts that can only be achieved through cooperation. The items on view here reflect his stance of continuously revitalizing his own ideas through the “chemical reactions” that occur during collaborations.