The Noguchi Museum publishes second chapter of digital catalogue raisonné
February 12, 2013
The Isamu Noguchi Foundation
and Garden Museum
32-37 Vernon Blvd.
Long Island City, NY 11106
Jenny Dixon, Director, The Noguchi Museum, has announced online publication of the second installment of The Isamu Noguchi Catalogue Raisonné, effective February 12, 2013. One of the first catalogues raisonné to be published digitally, the ongoing scholarly publication is dedicated to documenting the complete oeuvre of Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), encompassing sculptures, drawings, models, architectural spaces, stage sets, and manufactured designs, as well as a chronology, bibliography, and list of exhibitions. Scheduled for completion in 2018, the publication is accessible free of charge at catalogue.noguchi.org.
The first installment of the catalogue raisonné, published in November 2011, includes complete entries for more than 300 artworks and partial entries for more than 1,000 others for which research is in progress. The second chapter includes newly completed research on more than 400 sculptures, models, and drawings from Noguchi’s estate; checklists for key solo exhibitions from 1930 to 1970; hundreds of new images of artworks and exhibitions; and more than 500 new entries for artworks for which research is ongoing, including a major selection of Noguchi’s drawings.
As work on the digital catalogue proceeds, the Museum continues to refine its customized online publishing platform. In addition to the new research mentioned above, the 2013 edition has several new features, including improved search and browsing methods. A document of the entire site’s contents can also be downloaded in PDF format, providing a yearly archive of the catalogue’s progress.
The completed publication will comprise detailed entries on over 3,000 artworks, in addition to exhibitions and publications. It will be the first comprehensive record of the life and work of Noguchi, updating and considerably expanding upon the 1980 catalogue of sculpture by Nancy Grove and Diane Botnick (Garland), and will be an indispensable resource for scholars, arts professionals, and collectors of Noguchi’s work.
Research continues towards the project’s completion; the third chapter, anticipated for release in early 2014, will be the first to include works from private collections.
Organization
Project Manager for The Isamu Noguchi Catalogue Raisonné is Shaina D. Larrivee. In 2012, the Museum also engaged its first on-site researcher for the project, Alex Ross.
Support
The Isamu Noguchi Catalogue Raisonné is sustained by a generous contribution by Tsuneko and Shoji Sadao. Initial support from the Luce Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, in 2007, enabled the digitization of the Museum’s photography archives. In 2012, the Dedalus Foundation provided support for the first Research Fellowship for the publication.
Since the inception of the project in the 1990s, the Museum’s Board of Trustees has fully endorsed the effort, understanding how central it is to the Museum’s mission and to providing a comprehensive understanding of Noguchi’s production.
The Noguchi Museum
The Noguchi Museum—chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum—manages the world’s largest and most extensive collection of Noguchi’s work, as well as his complete archives. It is an international center for the study and interpretation of Noguchi’s work, and serves both the scholarly community and the public.
The first museum in America to be founded by a living artist to show his or her work, it comprises ten indoor galleries and an internationally celebrated outdoor sculpture garden. It exhibits a comprehensive selection of the artist’s works in stone, metal, wood, and clay, as well as models for public projects and gardens, dance sets, and his Akari Light Sculptures. Together, this installation and the Museum’s diverse special exhibitions, publications, and public and education programs offer a rich, contextualized view of Noguchi’s work and illuminate his influential legacy of innovation. The Museum also organizes traveling exhibitions that serve the international community; maintains an active loan program; and offers scholars access to its extensive archives.
For additional information, visit www.noguchi.org.
