In the year 1970, Japan hosted Osaka’s Expo ‘70 — a world’s fair in the city of Suita, Osaka, in which 77 countries participated, and more than 64 million people attended. For those Stevens students who have travelled through Queens, New York, an image of the instantly recognizable “New York State Pavilion” may form in your mind. A remnant of the past, the now-abandoned pavilion once served as a central landmark for the 1964 New York World’s Fair in Flushing, Queens’ Corona Park. Despite their conception dating to the mid-19th century, World’s Fairs have since remained an internationally shared tradition, with multiple countries hosting participants from all over the world in an effort to inspire diplomacy, collaboration, and shared excitement over technological advancement. The United States—largely considered a leader in global technology in the 1960s—drew an audience of 51.6 million to its New York World’s Fair. While Japan’s rising position as a global technology competitor in the 1970s might explain competitive attendance at Osaka’s Expo ‘70, this may also be attributed to the inspiring execution of its central theme, “Progress and Harmony for Mankind” by Taro Okamoto.
Taro Okamoto was a Japanese abstract artist whose creations are probably unlike any other you’ve seen. Blending surrealist elements, artistic theory, and vibrant color schemes, Okamoto sought to reject traditional artistic elements in favor of complex forms that reflected the unrealized dynamism of human character. Infusing natural and human forms into his work, he intended to convey the importance of embracing the intense and often unpredictable aspects of human nature to further individual expression. He also enjoyed employing contradictory themes — an asset in both his sculptures and paintings that I believe inspires thought about the many contradictions we experience in life and how they ultimately steer us in the direction of progress. Okamoto also rejected the concept that art was a commodity, choosing to primarily create public murals and sculptures that anyone could access. His most famous work is “The Tower of the Sun”, which was displayed at the Osaka Expo ‘70s pavilion. The 230-foot-tall statue was designed to resonate with the Expo’s theme, “Progress and Harmony for Mankind” — the tower’s three faces each represent the past, present, and future of humanity, respectively. It also features a colorful tree of life in its interior, mirroring Okamoto’s signature style, sprouting towards the statue’s central skylight, suggesting continued evolution.
My favorite of Okamoto’s pieces is “Jump”, an intense composition that effectively illustrates both Okamoto’s thoughtful stylistic choices and recognizable moto. While the context for the piece is unclear, the chaos that Okamoto portrays on the canvas meshes well with his rejection of nihilism. Okamoto expressed a belief that to create with purpose, we must recognize the privilege of creation and channel inspiration from the energy we possess. In “Jump”, Okamoto concentrates energy towards the human character—a black rift positioned dynamically in the upper left of the canvas—to convey the explosive, often untapped nature of our inner selves. Okamoto’s well-recognized motto, “Art is an explosion”, seems to be at play here, conveying how artistic expression can inspire others to resist stagnation and embrace natural creativity. I particularly enjoy the clashing color schemes in this piece, with the warmer colors on the right side of the canvas following the jumping character, appearing to quickly dissipate the colder colors on the left side of the canvas. Taro Okamoto’s perspective on human endurance remains a beacon for the masses in a time where uncertainty and apprehension dominate minds.
