Isamu Noguchi

Now available in paperback, this definitive book explores the multidisciplinary career of one of the most experimental and pioneering artists of the 20th century.

Encompassing the entirety of Isamu Noguchi’s work in sculpture, ceramics, photography, architecture, design, as well as the artist’s playscapes, gardens and stage sets for modern dance and theatre performance, this survey explores Noguchi’s creative process and lesser-known aspects of his practice, his engagement with a wide range of mediums and cultures, and his innovative achievements over six decades.

Brimming with imagery and contributions from an international range of authors, this book helps readers grasp the diversity and patterns of Noguchi’s work both in situ and in galleries. Archival photographs of the artist’s studios offer glimpses into his experimental attitude towards sculpture. Themes of harmony and dissonance, which were central to his practice, are explored in a series of essays that consider the artist’s dual heritage, the Japanese American experience, his worldwide travel and his many influences. It also pays tribute to Noguchi’s fruitful collaborations with creatives from a range of industries, such as R. Buckminster Fuller, Martha Graham and Louis Kahn.

Throughout the monograph Noguchi’s own words provide a critical backdrop towards understanding an artist who embraced many schools of thought, and whose entire life and career set an example for partnership and cooperation across artistic, political and cultural boundaries.

Fabienne Eggelhöfer is Chief Curator at Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern. 

Rita Kersting is Deputy Director at the Museum Ludwig, Cologne. 

Florence Ostende is Curator at the Barbican Art Gallery, London