In June 2018 renowned contemporary photographer Arthur Tress generously donated his collection of Japanese illustrated books and prints to the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Totaling over one thousand titles and representing nearly four hundred years of publishing history, Tress’s collection spans the historical range of the Japanese illustrated book. This exhibition presents highlights from the collection, including seventeenth century manuscripts, evocative landscape studies and painting manuals, poetry coterie books and comic novels, as well as modern design and textile studies.
Imagined as a study collection, Tress’s gift formed the backbone of three curatorial seminars where undergraduate and graduate students alike engaged with the rich cultural and intellectual history of the Japanese book. Displaying a selection of Japanese books along with Tress’s own photography, this exhibition places the Japanese illustrated book into conversation with Tress’s photographs. The exhibition engages Tress’s practices as both artist and collector, juxtaposing the two media to present moments of unexpected visual poetry that resonate across geographic place and time.
Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm
Exhibition opening & reception: Fri, Sep 30th 5:30pm
EXHIBITION SYMPOSIUM: Thu & Fri, Sep 29th & 30th
Arthur Tress and the Japanese Illustrated Book: A Celebration
Free & open to the public
Goldstein Family Gallery
Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center, 6th floor
3420 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
39.952748863303, -75.19393455
Arthur Tress and the Japanese Illustrated Book
