Outline

Homemade wooden boxes filled with an array of small objects such as shells, a star map of the heavens, a liqueur glass or an old reproduction of a painting. These are the creations Joseph Cornell spent years diligently crafting in his basement studio, They were at once works of art and treasure boxes for holding reminders of the happy days of his childhood, as well as shelves for storing his unfulfilled dreams and unrequited longings. In these boxes small enough to be held in the arms, he created worlds with the potential to expand into universes, limited only by the fantasies and imaginations of those who gazed into them. They are the worlds that we all hold deep within us. The boxes of Cornell remind us of the rich and mellow sweetness of those worlds.

As a great admirer of Cornell’s art, Mutuo Takahashi wrote a poem in 1993 titled “This World, or the Man of the Boxes” in praise of this rare artist. Now, he presents 16 new verses, one each for the seven Cornell boxes and nine collages from the Kawamura collection in this exhibition. These verses, composed of words in the same subtle manner as Cornell’s creations, are sure to shine fresh light on the small but boundless worlds of the works.

In this collaboration of an artist and a poet who lived in the different times and different spaces of 20th-century America and contemporary Japan, each creating their own distinctive microcosms, is certain to bring us a fresh new insights into the world of Joseph Cornell.

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Programs

Mutuo Takahashi Poetry Reading
"Joseph Cornell: Intimate Worlds Enclosed"

A reading by the poet of newly composed poems dedicated to Cornell and discussion of the appeal of his art
April 17, 14:00－15:00
 

Gallery Talks by Curator

April 10 , June 27, 14:00－15:00
 

Guided Tours of the Entire Building by Guide Staff

14:00－15:00 every day except on Lecture or Curator Gallery Talk days
 

Audio Guide

Listen to poetry read by the poet, Mutuo Takahashi, a guided tour of the exhibition and explanations of the works.
Also contains explanations of the Museum Collection
Rental fee: 500 yen per headse