2014 Catalogue Archive

Yasuo Sumi joined the Gutai Art Association in 1955, a year after it was formed, and remained a member until it dissolved in 1972. He became known for painting with everyday objects, such as combs, vibrating motors, and abacuses. The fine, parallel lines in his paintings – seen here in Work SY-2 – result in dynamic compositions of scraped and poured paint. In this chaotic work from 1988, Sumi combines oil and enamel paint to create a white mesh of lines that hover over a reddish-black area, resulting in an unexpected spatial depth. Sumi’s work has been included in exhibitions at Tokyo City Modern Art Museum; Ashiya City Museum of Art & History; Guggenheim Museum, New York; Galerie National du Jeu de Paume, Paris; Auckland Museum; and International Center for Aesthetic Research, Turin, among many others.