Shinkichi Tajiri, s.s.s.s.s.s. no. 1, 1966

Shinkichi Tajiri, s.s.s.s.s.s. no. 1, 1966, aluminum, steel, and perspex, 6 meters high

Shinkichi Tajiri (1923-2009) went through quite a lot in his life. At the beginning of World War II, for instance, he and his family were imprisoned in a camp in the state of Arizona because of their Japanese ancestry. After two years, Tajiri is released when he enlists as a soldier for a US army volunteer unit. When he returns to America after the war, Tajiri is again confronted with his roots due to discrimination from the Japanese community. He therefore decides to move to Paris in 1948, where he takes classes from Ossip Zadkine and Fernand Léger. In his own words, all his work is intertwined with his experiences and "psychological scars".[1]

The work s.s.s.s.s.s. no. 1 from 1966 looks at first glance like a futuristic object rather than a work of art. The antenna with microphone makes the six-metre-high object look like a new kind of communication device. Additionally, the work has no obvious recognisable elements. With some imagination, it could also be interpreted as a spaceship, a robot or an insect. The large number 'one' on the side of the work is perhaps derived from the numbers on racing cars at the time, which Tajiri draws inspiration from, among other things. In Sonsbeek park, which is familiar to many people, Tajiri's work may have been perceived as alienating. 

At first, it is as if Tajiri's
s.s.s.s.s.s. no. 1 conveys his admiration for new machines from the 1960s. However, the Machines series is intended precisely as a protest against the way machines are used in wars (such as the Vietnam War at the time). Tajiri criticises governments that invest many millions in military machinery to kill people. He is disappointed that his views are usually not understood. Because of their beauty and craftsmanship, his works are often interpreted as worship of militarism.[2]

[1] R. Vercauteren (red.), De Wachters van Shinkichi Tajiri, Venlo 2007, pp. 15-19, 23.
[2] G. Verhoogt, “”Al mijn werk is het resultaat van wat ik heb meegemaakt””, in: A. Dijkhuis, J. Engels en G. Verhoogt (reds.), Tajiri: Seed no. 4, Eindhoven 2009, p. 13. 

en_GBEnglish