18 Shinro Ohtake

**18**
**Shinro Ohtake**
**With Postcards**

A record of the 18-year-old Shinro Ohtake, a leading contemporary artist and painter from Japan. This collection compiles an enormous number of photographs and artworks taken in Hokkaido, from Bekkai to Utagishinai, between 1974 and 1975, as if he were painting.

Presented in a robust and powerful monochrome style, it starkly conveys a sense of youthfulness that differs from the more sentimental later works of Ohtake. Indeed, there is a vibrant sense of adolescence here, which is intensely captivating.

I recall Ohtake mentioning Duchamp in a way that suggested, “He drew a picture by replacing a pencil with a urinal.” He also remarked, “The drawings from my younger days are wonderful.” Furthermore, he stated, “I don't trust anyone who can't create something with just paper and a pencil.” I believe this statement serves as an important compass for exploring the vast world of Ohtake. I think it was during a lecture about the panoramic view that he made this statement, which serves as a “record” that proves the “truth” of Shinro Ohtake as a person.

Triggered by a magazine article, 18-year-old Shinro Ohtake ended up living and working at Ulley Farm in Bekkai, Hokkaido, filled with hopes and anxieties. This teenage journal depicts a young man's struggle to find ways and attitudes to live by creating art. In addition to being a touching account of a young person’s endeavors, the book also showcases Ohtake's “self-found art,” constructed with photographs, watercolors, sketches, and short texts titled "Rules" taken during 1974. Although the cover and the inner pages exhibit some wear and yellowing over the years, the overall condition is good. There is a large signature in marker on the endpaper. This is the first edition published by Aoyama Shuppansha in 2002, with a dust jacket. Two postcards from the "Bekkai" exhibition featuring cows are included.

**Title:** 18
**Author:** Shinro Ohtake
**Published:** Aoyama Shuppansha, 2002
**Notes:** Softcover, 210×280mm, 498p
**Large Book**

There is a slight dent on the cover, and a faint crease on the last page.