Emma Jacobs
Atomic Eruptions: Understanding Artistic Endurance in Response to the 1945 Bombings through Human Figure
Iri & Toshi Maruki, Water, 1950, Sumi ink, charcoal or conté on paper 180 × 720 cm. The Maruki Gallery. August 6th, 1945: the beginning of the end of World War II. The bombing of Hiroshima devastated the city and ultimately became a catalyst in the rise of nuclear warfare. A wave of nuclear art resulted from the massacre and subsequent U.S. occupation of postwar Japan. Using the human body as a means to represent trauma, resilience, and collective memory, artists like Iri (1901-1995) and Toshi Maruki (1912-2000) constructed a record and tool for activism. The Hiroshima Panels present the human suffering and horrors experienced by friends, family, and others located at ground zero. These works hold strong narrative value, consolidating first-hand experiences through expressive imagery. With a heavy focus on the human form, environments melt away; only victims remain, underscoring the unique Japanese experience and alienating themselves from the rest of the world. Trends in abstract work after cataclysmic events, such as this, display a lean towards the otherworldly and the unseen. Unrest due to incredible events and the activism that followed is made visible in the works outlined here. The Marukis’ Water provides viewers with a rounded introduction as it represents anti-nuclear and anti-war sentiment, abstracted renderings, recognizable symbolism, and enduring fears due to nationalistic actions. The following images help to support Water and provide alternative interpretations, as well as showing additional examples from their body of work. Similarities in stylistic direction while reflecting a mutual understanding of the atrocities of war present audiences with evidence of human life that is continuously at risk in a war-torn reality.
(Detail) Iri & Toshi Maruki, III Water, 1950, Sumi ink, charcoal or conté on paper 180 × 720 cm. The Maruki Gallery. A detail from the previous image, the Maruki’s used photographs circulated by the Japanese Communist Party to add realism and symbolic depth to their work. This portrayal of a mother and child is derived from a photograph captured at the bomb site, evoking allusions to the Virgin and Child archetype. Conventional symbols dedicated to Allied powers and occupation of Japan after the war. Incredible hostility and distrust were directed at Americans in the wake of the massacre. Such symbolism speaks internationally through universal imagery. This detail can serve as a steppingstone in addressing both the restrictive military occupation and the atrocities committed by the Japanese themselves. The devastation inflicted upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, seen as retribution for Japan’s transgressions, can be viewed as both a consequence and tragic loss of innocent lives. The Virgin and Child is a realization of predicted death but is no solace for the victimized.
Iri & Toshi Maruki, Fire, 1950, Sumi ink, pigment, glue, charcoal or conté on paper 180 × 720 cm. The Maruki Gallery. Part of the Hiroshima series, II Fire and III Water are two of five panels produced during U.S. military occupation and censorship. Displaying the moment of and immediately after impact, Fire depicts roaring flames and evokes the searing heat of the explosion, conveying the destruction and terror forced upon civilians. This second panel, which represents details drawn from factual photographs, provides another layer to the nuclear imagery. Abstraction persists, displaying chaos, fear, and pain. Wielding combinations of abstraction and realism, artists commit to representing realities, emotions, and the unseen. In their narrative approach, the artists sought to fashion a poignant reminder of the human toll of war and the persistent shadow of nuclear violence. This piece works in tandem with Water, and the following pieces, urging viewers to face the realities of war and advocate for a peaceful future.
One of Pablo Picasso’s (1881-1973) most famous works, this mural’s large scale weaves abstraction and photographs to demand attention from audiences. Guernica displays the bombing of the Spanish village but does not provide recognizable figures or location. Taken from photographs and newspaper reports of the event, this work is in response to the atrocities of conflict. Viewers can see similarities to the Marukis’ series as familiar stylistic elements are used. Picasso links trauma representation to stylistic choice as he too chooses abstracted imagery to reveal the atrocities of warfare. Leading up to the Second World War, Picasso is giving a general plea against hostility and bloodshed. Advocacy for a world of peace and reminders of human cost are repeated in this work, providing an international take on the harrowing realities of combat.
Pablo Picasso, Guernica, 1937, oil on canvas, 349 x 776 cm. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. 
Kikuji Kawada, The A-Bomb Memorial Dome, Ceiling, Stain and Flaking-Off, from the series The Map, 1960-1965, gelatin silver print, 18.42 × 24.13 cm. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Obsessively capturing the walls and stains of Hiroshima, Kikuji Kawada (1933-present) uses photography as narrative documentation of ground zero. Powerful imagery of the Atomic Dome provides both a topographical and further interpretive quality to visual culture produced in postwar Japan. From his series titled The Map, this imagery is part of a wave of Atomic Art in response to the 1945 bombings. Kawada’s photographs share abstract, and powerful imagery, seemingly emphasizing the level of carnage in his lack of figural representation. His highly impactful photobook, Chizu (The Map), explores abstracted details of the remnants of Hiroshima, its victims, and the dangers of nationalism. This work echoes that of the previous pieces and reiterates the dangers of nuclear warfare and nationalism. Through the idea of collective experience, Kawada has intrinsically linked his work to his contemporaries, the Marukis, as these artists portray abstracted impressions of the nuclear strike.
Emma Jacobs
(she/her)
Art History ‘24
Emma is a Senior Art History student at Tyler School of Art & Architecture. She has an interest in all periods and style but is most captivated by 19th-century art and Japanese prints. Topics like gender studies, cross-cultural exchange, and figural representation are typically the focus of her research. Outside of academic pursuits she likes traveling, reading, and dedicating time to her hobbies.