Lot 223: POSTER: IKKO TANAKA (1930- 2002) [JAPANESE.]

IKKO TANAKA (1930- 2002) [JAPANESE.] Two posters. 1981 and 2000.
Sizes vary.
Condition varies, generally A. Paper.
With a traditional artistic background in textile design, Tanaka ultimately switched to graphic design. From book to logo design, interior decoration, typography and exhibition design, he practiced every aspect of the field with a refined style. For years he also worked for the Seibu group for whom he supervised their global image. A lover of traditional Japan, his posters celebrated the arts and crafts of his native country in a superb modern way. For the Nihon Buyo (Japanese dance) performance at UCLA, Tanaka depicts a dancer''s face, as if composed of origami. This is the first time he used this emblematic form, and he went on to employ it frequently in different variations for other posters he designed for cultural events and exhibitions. The Bauhaus exhibition poster is a perfect example of how Tanaka could adapt to any subject, finding a simple, sober and elegant solution that would fit the project. Tanaka p. 83 and 127.