Tetsuya Ishida at Wrightwood 659 Gallery

Early last month I received a message from David Novak of the Wrightwood 659 Gallery in Chicago. Mr. Novak wrote: "Hi Mitch - just happened to see your video about the painter (Tetsuya Ishida). Thanks. You may know (or not) his work is on exhibition here in Chicago at Wrightwood 659 gallery. If he did 180 paintings about half of them are here, and judging by your film most of the major ones. This was previously at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte in Madrid. If you have any cause to be in or around Chicago it's very worth your while trying to see this. Anyhow you probably know - you being the closest thing I know to a Ishida expert - but I thought I would touch base anyhow." I had no idea about this, and due to being out of pocket in October I wasn't able to get back to Mr. Novak until today.

Needless to say, if you're in Chicago then please go check out this amazing showcase of Ishida's exceptionally unique artwork. The show is called "Ishida in his Time", and it runs until December 2nd. Also, on November 7th, an expert panel will discuss Ishida, inserting him into both the art historical canon and Japanese history. Participants to date include Janice Katz, Roger L. Weston Associate Curator of Japanese Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, Laura Allen, Chief Curator and Curator of Japanese Art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, and E. Taylor Atkins, Distinguished Teaching Professor and Assistant Chair in Northern Illinois University’s Department of History. If you wish to attend this event, you can find out more about it here: https://wrightwood659.org/programs/ishida-in-his-time/

Otherwise, here's the short film that I made about Ishida and his artwork a few years ago: