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Walter and McBean Galleries, SFAI

February 8 - March 31, 2013

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800 Chestnut Street San Francisco, CA 94133
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Experimental Exhibition of Modern Art to Challenge the Mid-Winter Burning Sun
Experimental Exhibition of Modern Art to Challenge the Mid-Winter Burning Sun: Gutai Historical Survey and Contemporary Response Curated by John Held, Jr. and Andrew McClintock This winter the San Francisco Art Institute presents the first West Coast survey exhibition of Gutai (1954-1972), a significant avant-garde artist collective in postwar Japan that was founded by Jiro Yoshihara under a primary directive: “Do something no one’s ever done before.” Gutai, which translates as “concrete” or “embodiment,” fulfilled this commitment to innovative practices by using traditional media in new situations and producing art through concrete actions: smashing paint-filled bottles; full-body wrestling with mud and cement; leaping through a series of paper screens; painting with feet. With these efforts, Gutai stood in contrast to the figurative and abstract art of the era and prefigured the performance-orientated art of the 1960s such as Happenings and Fluxus. Public opening reception February 8, 2013, 7-9pm Walter and McBean Galleries San Francisco Art Institute 800 Chestnut Street San Francisco, CA 94133