Decalcomanias of Shuzo Takiguchi

Shuzo Takiguchi, Phantom of Matthias Grunewald, 1962

"Shuzo Takiguchi (1903 - 1979) worked extensively as a poet, art critic, and artist. He was a leading Japanese authority on surrealism, devoting his life to exemplifying the movement in its orthodox form. Starting in the 1950s, he began offering new experimental outlets for young postwar avant-garde artists who lacked opportunities for presenting their work in formats other than group exhibitions." [source: exhibition description, "The Artists Shuzo Takiguchi Loved"]

Read more about Takiguchi (in English) and poke around his archives.

Takiguchi's main works were decalcomanias, which he began making around 1960. (Short description of the process: drip paint on glass, press paper on it, remove it). Decalcomania is mostly associated with Max Ernst.

Some more links:
* "A night traveler crossing the border of art and literature" (Japan Times)
* Takiguchi drawings at his archive
* Drifting Objects of Dreams: The Collection of Shuzo Takiguchi by Michael Richardson
* Matthias Grunewald
* discovered while assembling this post (one of the artists Takiguchi loved): Jiro Oyamada (too bad the images are so small)

These scans come from a 1990 Japanese magazine.