Isamu Noguchi: Essays and Conversations

by B& W Photographs (Illustrator), Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, Bruce Altshuler

Book by Noguchi, Isamu, Apostolos-Cappadona, Diane, Altshuler, Bruce

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1994

Reviews

[Caterina Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of Isamu Noguchi’s writings and important interviews is a good collection of primary documents. Though written in 1994, it still holds as a good introduction to Noguchi’s artistic philosophy and major influences. While it is not organized chronologically, it covers important topics such as his gardens and landscapes, his stage sets, his relationship with Japan, and his thoughts on materials and process. Noguchi’s own early writings can be a bit stuffy, but his writing is better when he reflects not on his philosophy but on his recollections and influences. He seems to have been quite good at being interviewed. He’s pretty fair to his contemporaries, though he admits he was not interested in welding for himself (though David Smith tried to encourage him to weld). He’s also fair to the land artists who were coming up in the late 1960s and 1970s, though you can tell he doesn’t gush over them. What is most clear from the texts is that Noguchi believed in being true to the materials you are using; that he eschewed reproduction materials (clay for casting; bronze); and that many of his best works (mainly the playgrounds) were never realized. This is to the great loss of New York, to whom he offered more than one playground design and was refused by the ever-blind political machine. The book includes a good chronology of his life at the end. The bibliography is a good starting point, as it includes a pretty full list of primary sources since it was published after Noguchi died. However, since this book is 26 years old, many more secondary sources have been released since its publication. This is a good primer for anyone interested in Noguchi.

[Malcolm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great interviews, essays and insights