Keiichi Tanaami’s exhibition “TANAAMI! AKATSUKA!!! / 45 rpm” will be held at Shueisha Manga Art Heritage Tokyo Gallery in Azabudai Hills, Tokyo, from Tuesday, May 14 to Sunday, June 30.
Tanaami is an art director, graphic designer, and filmmaker from Tokyo. He is known for his colorful works that reflect his childhood memories of war and the influence of American popular culture that he was exposed to afterwards.
The exhibition will showcase the gravure print jacket for the 12-inch record “TANAAMI!! AKATSUKA!! / Revolver – the Soundtrack.” This record, a collaborative art print project between Keiichi Tanaami and Fujio Akatsuka, was created using a gravure printing machine that ceased operation in December 2021. The jacket features misprints that occurred during the printing process of the artwork “TANAAMI!! AKATSUKA!! / Revolver.” These misprints, including misalignments and color gaps, are treated as “unique values,” presenting various variations.
The record, which is limited to 999 copies and will be available for pre-sale, features on the A-side the improvisation “Meehr!” which was composed by Akira Sakata, a saxophonist/clarinetist and close friend of Akatsuka’s, and “Revolver,” a composition by Akira Shimooka of Analogfish based on the sound of a rotogravure printing press. The B-side contains the sound of gravure printing at the TOPPAN Kawaguchi plant on November 26, 2021, and the scene at the time of recording is described chronologically in the liner notes. The liner notes introduce the scene at the time of recording in chronological order.
In addition, a special version of the record, with the center label produced by lenticular printing and covered by a metallic outer jacket that evokes the “plate” of gravure printing, is available in a limited edition of 100 copies. It is also signed by Tanaami.
The National Art Center, Tokyo will also host “Keiichi Tanaami: Adventures in Memory,” Tanaami’s first large-scale retrospective exhibition. This exhibition will be held from Wednesday, August 7 to Monday, November 11.
Keiichi Tanaami’s “TANAAMI! AKATSUKA!!! / 45 rpm
Tuesday, May 14 – Sunday, June 30, 2024
Venue: Shueisha Manga Art Heritage Tokyo Gallery
Address: Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A B1, 5-8-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001
Access: 1 minute walk from Exit 5 of Kamiyacho Station on the Subway Hibiya Line
Hours: 11:00~20:00
Closed: Monday
TANAAMI!!! AKATSUKA!!! / Revolver – the sound track
12″ (LP size), 180 grams, 45 rpm, limited to 999 copies, 8,800 yen (tax included)
In order to allow as many people as possible to enjoy the album, a maximum of 6 copies per person may be purchased.
Special version: Limited to 100 copies. 55,000 yen (tax included)
Limited to 2 copies per person to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy this special edition.
