Tatsuo Inagaki
Past Artist In Residence
2001

The Japanese Tatsuo Inagaki relinquishes the traditional artist role of sole creator and directly involves individuals from various communities in his work. He is particularly interested in investigating interpersonal communication outside of mass media and high technology. In 2001, Inagaki had the opportunity to be in residence at 18th Street. He conducted a series of fieldwork research on a specific group of people in the 18th Street neighborhood. Through his research and presentation, he transformed his studio into a series of “museums,” which were dedicated to the individuals he met These individuals were not celebrities or Hollywood stars, but rather, ordinary people living throughout the L.A. region. Visitors to the “Tappy Museum” were able to explore various aspects of the individual, his/her relationship to the person and the world around him/her, and the realities inherent within his/her existence. The project was organic in that it explored the possibilities of 18th Street and other art forms from the aspect of one-on-one communication.