Tokyo 1955-70: A New Avant-Garde @ MOMA

The new exhibition of Japan's artwork from 1955-70 is a sweeping, stimulating, disturbing, prolific show.  The exhibit is presented in 3 rooms. The earliest works in the front room, & progresses   chronologically.  There is an explosion of art, materials, mediums; where to begin? I'll begin with the most destructive, deliberate explosion of all time, the atomic bombs that were dropped on Japan at the end of WWII.  The Allies, (i.e. the U.S. {us}) entered the Imperalist nation of Japan, in '45, as a strong presence to '52.  In 1956, the Japanese Govt. proclaimed the Post War over (good to know).  Starting in '55, a decade after Japan's decimation, a rebirth or rebuilding was taking hold.  The earlier works depict  apocalyptic works in a multitude of materials.  Natsuyi's, "Map of a Man," shows a white shadow of a male figure.  This recalls the photo of a human shadow embedded in concrete, caused by the atomic bomb.  I would would categorize the artwork in the 1st two rooms as macabre, oppressive, stirring & creepy.  The large oil painting that encompasses the entire wall dividing the 1st two rooms is divided in the middle.  This painting has male/female figures in an idential martial arts stance, with a foot poised for attack. It repeats continuously into the horizon. Moving deeper into the exhibit, I found works representing metamorphosis and rebirth; a transition from a rural, farming culture to an industrial, urban, capitalistic society.  The most riveting piece was Tasumi's "Homage to the Young Generation," a cocoon split in the middle attached to a cerebral mass.  By the time I progressed into the furthest gallery, I was ready to scream from over stimulation.  The gallery had remarkable black/white photos, videos & posters.  Tandoori's poster contained a male corpse hanging from a noose under his name.  The caption read, "Having reached a climax at age 29, I was dead."  I was electrified by the the Avant-Garde exhibit, a powerful documentation of history.
Edvard Munch's The Scream is currently at the MOMA and I went to see this iconic piece.  Of course, no matter how many times security chastens people, they persist in taking flash photos.  The guards should scream at them, "what's wrong with you people?"