Oral history interview with George Tsutakawa
odd: label: General
content: Originally recorded on 12 videocassettes. Duration is 4 hr.
name: label: Creator
content: Tsutakawa, George
label: Interviewer
content: Tsutakawa, Mayumi
topic: label: Occupation
content: Educators -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- Washington (State) -- Seattle
label: Topic
content: Asian American art
label: Topic
content: Asian American artists
label: Topic
content: Japanese American art
label: Topic
content: Japanese American artists
label: Topic
content: Asian American sculptors
label: Topic
content: Asian American painters
label: Topic
content: Asian American educators
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
creator: label: Creator
content: Tsutakawa, George
label: Interviewer
content: Tsutakawa, Mayumi
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: George Tsutakawa (1910-1997) was a Japanese American painter and sculptor based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Seattle in 1910, he moved with his mother to Fukuyama, Japan, at the age of seven. While there, he took an interest in art, and was influenced by traditional Japanese practices. Returning to Seattle at age 16, he continued his education in art at the University of Washington. His interest in sculpture led to numerous commissions for fountians worldwide, a form that combined his experiences in both the Pacific Northwest and Japan. During his career, Tsutakawa designed, built, and installed over 70 fountains.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 12 Videocassettes (BetacamSP) (Master: 12 videocassettes (Beta) (circa 20 min. each), sd., col., 1/2 in.)
label: Extent
content: 4 Videocassettes (U-matic) (Duplicate (3 sets, 12 total videocassettes), sd., col., 3/4 in.)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1987 June 26-27
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.tsutak87
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Videocassettes (betacamsp)
label: Type
content: Videocassettes (u-matic)
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: An interview of George Tsutakawa conducted 1987 June 26-27, by his daughter Mayumi Tsutakawa, for the Archives of American Art at Tsutakawa's home and studio in Seattle, Washington and at three of his fountain sculpture sites.
label: Scope and Contents
content: He discusses his youth and early education in Japan, demonstrates Sumi painting, and describes early Seattle art communities and University of Washington classes. He recalls his WWII experiences and his friendship with Mark Tobey and others, and explains the origins and evolution of fountain sculpture. Paul J. Karlstrom of the Archives of American Art introduces and concludes the interview.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: This interview was followed up in 1988 by documenting Tsutakawa's return to Fukuyama, Japan to dedicate a major work for the city's new museum of contemporary art (cataloged separately under George Tsutakawa in Japan video project). Footage from this interview was used, along with footage from the 1988 Fukuyama footage, in the documentary "George Tsutakawa: An Artists' Pilgrimage" c1990 by the Archives of American Art.