In the early 1900s, groups of Japanese Americans formed photography clubs along the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles to Seattle. Their photographs were exhibited and published internationally to considerable acclaim, and admired by other photographers including Edward Weston and László Moholy-Nagy.
Through artfully arranged images, the photographers represented the Japanese cultural heritage that they knew and loved; at the same time, their dynamic compositions of abstract forms contributed to the progress of modern art both at home and abroad.
Sadly, much of this output was lost or destroyed during the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.
Making Waves looks at this lost legacy. In 103 striking prints from the 1920s and ’30s, subjects include still life, landscape, and portraiture, along with more adventurous forays into abstraction and formal experimentation. The images, along with artifacts and ephemera that help bring the era to life, will be on view through June 26.
Making Waves commemorates the 30th anniversary of the first comprehensive exhibition of Japanese American photography, titled Japanese Photography in America, 1920–1940.
Organized in 1986 by Dennis Reed, that exhibition traveled to several prestigious venues, including the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Making Waves, also organized by Reed, is the first comprehensive examination of this material since the 1986 exhibition. It features iconic images from the first exhibition plus many additional photographs discovered in the intervening years.
Reed is a historian, curator, and collector who specializes in American photography from the 1920s and ’30s. A leading expert in Asian American photography, Reed is Professor Emeritus of Art at Los Angeles Valley College.
Making Waves is accompanied by a 160-page catalog, which will be available for purchase from the JANM Store and online at www.janmstore.com
Japanese American National Museum / Making Waves: Japanese American Photography, 1920 – 1940 / Feb. 28 – June 26
Upcoming Events
Saturday, Feb. 27, 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Members’ Preview Day and Reception: Making Waves and Two Views
Remarks by Making Waves curator Dennis Reed at 2 pm followed by a book signing. Light dessert reception from 3 pm.
Saturday, Mar. 5, 10:30 am
Members Only Exhibition Tour: Making Waves
Independent historian and curator David F. Martin will discuss the idea of artistic reputation as it applies to the Seattle Camera Club in the early part of the 20th century. Limited to 25 members.
Saturday, Mar. 5, 2:00 pm
Panel discussion: Rediscovering Japanese American Photography
Historian and exhibition curator Dennis Reed will introduce and lead a panel discussion on the recovery of Japanese American photographs. Panelists will include David F. Martin, author and curator; Robert Hori, Cultural Curator, Huntington Library; and Stephen White, writer and dealer, all of whom have played a role in saving once-lost works by Japanese American photographers. Each is also a lender to Making Waves. Free with museum admission.
Friday, Mar. 11, 12:15 pm — 1:15 pm
Members Only Learning at Lunch: Japanese American Photographers
Saturday, Mar. 12, 10:30 am
Members Only Exhibition Tour: Making Waves
Exhibition curator Dennis Reed will provide an overview of Making Waves while focusing on the photographers who worked in Los Angeles, several of whom he knew personally. Limited to 25 members.
Saturday, April 16, 10:30 am
Members Only Exhibition Tour: Making Waves
Robert Hori, Cultural Curator at the Huntington Library, will lead an exclusive gallery tour entitled “Japanese Cultural Traditions as Expressed in Japanese American Photography.” Limited to 25 members.
Saturday, April 16, 2:00 pm
Panel discussion: Recollections of Family History
Moderated by exhibition curator Dennis Reed, family members of photographers featured in Making Waves will discuss the artists’ lives and activities. Confirmed participants include Sadao Kimura, Hirokazu Kosaka, Alan Miyatake, Frank Sata, and Loren Blackwood (Uyeda).
Free with museum admission.
Saturday, May 14, 11:00 am — 4:00 pm
JANM Free Family Days: Fantastic Photography
Free all day. Strike a pose, take a selfie, or snap a shot! This day is all about photography. Supported by The Nissan Foundation
Saturday, May 14, 2:00 pm
Film Screening and Panel Discussion—Toyo Miyatake: Infinite Shades of Gray
Free. Iconic photographer Toyo Miyatake and his search for truth and beauty are the subjects of this award-winning documentary film. Discussion with producer Karen L. Ishizuka and director Robert A. Nakamura to follow, with an introduction by Making Waves exhibition curator Dennis Reed.