Take one look at the (action) photographs and you will get immediately an idea of the works that Kudo made.
A little chaotic and compositions made of lost and found objects . Compositions in cages and cubes and a bit in the way like Joseph Beuys used showcases/vitrines . Kudo cages/ boxes/vitrines/cubes are absurd and contain colorful objects, but not without a meaning . They are arranged in a way that they have a meaning and make the viewer aware of the way the artist has visualized the title. Take for instance a look at: Bonheur… a cage where Happiness is far away. The title suggest Happiness, but the reality of the cage shows the grim reality
Tetsumi Kudo, Bonheur, painted cage, artificial soil, plastic flowers, cotton, plastic, polyester, resin, string, cigarettes, thermometer, Aspro tablets, circuit board, 21 x 11 x 14 inches, 1974
Ranging from plastic dolls to stuffed canaries Kudo arranged them and put them together to make a very recognizable work of art. For me Kudo is a cross between Pop Art and a Realistic sculpture.
Tetsumi Kudo was born in 1935 in Osaka, Japan, and spent a large portion of his youth in the town of Okayama, neighbour of Hiroshima. He graduated from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts in 1958. In 1957, he began exhibiting his work at the Salon of Independents, Yomiuri and had his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Blanche, Tokyo. He was awarded the Grand Prize and a travel grant to Paris through his participation in the 1962 Second International Young Artists Exhibition in Tokyo. He subsequently spent 25 years in Paris from 1962 to 1987 before returning to Japan. He died in Tokyo in 1990.
Tetsumi Kudo is one of the artists that inspired contemporary artist like Paul McCarthy and Mike Kelly.
http://www.ftn-books.com has 2 collectible Kudo titles available.
