Who was DT Suzuki?

Notes on: ‘An introduction essay on the significance of DT Suzuki on American Abstract Expressionism.’

As I prepare a lecture on the significance of D.T. Suzuki on Abstract Expressionism in New York in the 1950’s. I am breaking down elements to make it more relevant for an audience of creatives as much as people who may be interested in Buddhist ideas. My working title is ‘How did Japanese artists negotiate Dada through indigenous ideas of emptiness, impermanence and anti-rationality, and why has this story been overshadowed by the better-known narrative of Zen and Abstract Expressionism?’ but its a bit long! "Dada – Zen – Action Painting’ could be a better formula.

1. Summary of Abstract Expressionism-Motherwell and Pollock vs Rothko

2. Relevance of Dada in Europe: Brealk with tradition, spontaneity, performance and the body

3. Japanese modern art: Gutai, Art Informel

In many ways the American artists in the mid century New York, we all know and appreciate their journey as second of third generation immigrants, bohemian, poverty stricken artists in their cold water lofts, who if they hung on their long enough would hit the big time as the Unuted States, exploded as the new centre for modern art for the second half of the 2oth century. Names like Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Willem De Kooning have now been synonymous with New York style painting of the 1950’s, deeply gestural, predominantly non-figurative. Barely anyone made it out alive as Pop Art in the mid 1960’s soon took over the international arts scene.

For a few years American Abstract expressionism became the new post war, post American super power, home-grown art movement in the 20th century. How did the artists get there, what was the journey?

-European gestural surrealism

-Painterly expressionism

-Gesthalt and Zen buddhism

-Anti-figuration