The Art of Pinky Violence Gallery Exhibition, November 16-30 @ Hyaena Gallery

I got an email from former Panik House president Matt Kennedy today.
He is curating an art exhibit of the posters from the Toei Pinky Violence films.
This show is to be held in Burbank, CA (curious, as I will not be there when the show runs, but I am here now).



From his email:

Such a shame that I conclude my business in LA at the end of this week.

Good luck keeping me away from this!

"All the posters will be available for purchase... For people who don't have a budget for original, museum quality posters there will be a show poster available and a very limited edition giclee print."

Sounds like a great show, but the irony is that you can pick up original movie posters for these films from a number of dealers in Japan for between 1,000-2,000 Yen ($10-$20 USD) in mint condition. I know, I've bought tons of them myself on my annual pilgrimages to Tokyo.

Still, I'm sure that the show will be great -- seeing a collection of these in a gallery setting (I remember one on Japanese fantasy film posters at the Graybox Gallery in Silicon Valley way back in 1984). I hope this stimulates a demand for these films in the US...

August,
Are you thinking Nakano Broadway? I recall asking some years ago where to get posters in Tokyo as I go every year and someone here recommended a shop there, however I never get to make the trip as I berth on the other side of Tokyo. I'm hoping to win the lottery any day now so I can go this Christmas to see Shonen Knife play (a longheld ambition). I'm not sure what you meant by the irony of them being available in Japan for $20 as the ones for sale at the event will be linen backed and professionally mounted so they'll justifiably command a bigger price, and the cheaper items will be souvenirs of this unique event. Any of these fine posters would get pride of place in my house, I wish I could attend.

Victor

This post has been edited by Victor Boston on Nov 5 2009, 03:23 PM

Prices of "Pinky Violence" posters in Japan has risen in the last couple of years with the interest created by the likes of Hotwax. Yes, you can still find some bargains, but for many you'll probably be paying double that or considerably more for well-known stuff like the SASORI ones. I think August's use of the word "irony" here reflects that there's enough posters in good condition around that there should be no need to be linen-backing ones, a process more expensive than the posters themselves cost and are worth.

Victor, Nakano Broadway is a very accessible place...I'm not sure why reaching it from "the other side of Tokyo" should be so problematic or time consuming.

And Shonen Knife just toured the US...weren't you able to see them there? Better gigs to go to on the 24th IMO!

This post has been edited by Miles Wood on Nov 5 2009, 07:01 PM

I visit Tokyo every year and scour the usual haunts like Akihabra and Shinjuku for used CDs and DVDs but I've never found a shop selling posters! Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, although BOOK OFF stores are always well stocked with movie pressbooks.

I agree Nakano is accessible from a transport perspective but when I'm on my own, time is against me and with my wife and son, I'm compelled to confine shopping to Ginza so it just hasn't happened yet. We are based in Chiba, not far from Narita airport so I have to rely on lifts to Narita Keisei/JR station to kick off any exploring.

Re: Shonen Knife, it's my ambition to see them live in their home country. I'm in Ireland so I'd sooner try to sync my Japan visit with one of their shows than make a special trip to US and besides, wouldn't they sing the English versions of their songs on their US tour? If I did make the US trip though, I'd love to meet some Mobians after all the 10th anniversary tales of hooking up with leach other.

Victor

I hunt for posters all over Japan. Wherever I go. Generally, I find that the prices in Tokyo are indeed the highest, though. You can walk into one shop and pay 5,000 for one poster, and find the same one at another shop for half that.

You can sometimes find sellers offering the same poster for such divergent sums as ¥1,000 and ¥10,000! I haven't found that Tokyo poster sellers price their wares higher than those in other areas, though as far as shops go, I've only ever been to one poster shop out of Tokyo and that was in Osaka...it definitely wasn't cheaper!

This post has been edited by Miles Wood on Nov 12 2009, 06:38 AM

Any tips for finding these posters? I duck into every movie/music related store I see when I'm in Tokyo but I've never seen any racks or telltale tubes of posters. I've climbed many a stairwell festooned with AV posters (either interpretation) but I've never found a movie poster store as such. I guess, like my old school report says, I "must try harder".

There's a couple of shops in Nakano Broadway, and three or four shops in Jimbocho that sell Japanese film posters. That's about it. Feel free to ask for directions prior to your next trip to Tokyo, though if you're just looking for specific titles it might be easier to buy online...depends what you're after, I guess.

So the exhibit starts on Monday, November 16, but the venue is closed Mondays?

And the opening reception is 5 days after the exhibition starts?

Went to this today. It could have been bigger, but I'm glad I went. The DVD's and poster repro's had not arrived, and the prices and descriptions for the posters on display were not up yet. I will try to drop by for the reception on Saturday.