Life¡¯s a mere distraction before death, an ¡°unbearable lightness of being¡± to quote Milan Kundera. Art is part of this distraction, viewing the comedy of daily strife and the thought of mortality through an aesthetic frame. It¡¯s popular culture at its very best.
Britain, following World War II, was shaped by pop culture: Through years of introspection, comedy, anger and resentment, the nation was equally criticised and eulogized by it in all its forms ¡ª literature, painting, sculpture, film and music.
¡°Private Utopia¡± at Tokyo Station Gallery brings together 120 works by 30 different artists, now ambassadors for the cultural development of postwar Britain. Established in 1935, The British Council¡¯s ever-expanding modern and contemporary art collection comprises works by over 1,650 artists. This marks the first time in over 10 years that a show of this kind has made the way as far east as Japan.
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