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Tom Nakashima Print
PaintingStory & History
This print is by Thomas (Tom) V. Nakashima. Mr. Nakashima obtained his MFA from Notre Dame in 1969 and continued to live in South Bend, IN for a while thereafter. Many of works center around the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mr. Nakashima has exhibited widely, and his works have appeared in the Smithsonian (https://americanart.si.edu/artist/tom-nakashima...) Below is his Artist's Statement from a 2022 exhibition entitled "Resilience: A Sansei Sense of Legacy" in Topeka, KS. ----------------- Tom Nakashima's artist statement I was born in Seattle’s Japantown to a Nisei father and Canadian mother of Irish/German/Jewish/Catholic ancestry. Although I am of mixed ancestry, I have always considered myself Japanese. Many themes I regularly address in my work may be related to being born a racially mixed Japanese American Roman Catholic. Added to this was the shock of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which happened just before my 5th birthday. I recall the famous tragic pictures in Life and Look magazines. The stories of my extended family’s incarceration, combined with my limited sense of belonging, created an artistic vision that made me doubt my place in terms of self, family and tribe. Having participated in several exhibits with incarceration as the theme, I am finally feeling that I just may now be a part of that tribe. By a twist of fate, my father was drafted into the Army Medical Corps just before WWII and my immediate family was sent to Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, while my dad went off to serve in North Africa, Burma and India. At that very same time, my extended family was sent to Minidoka and Tule Lake American Concentration Camps. I dedicate my work in this exhibition to my Uncle Ted Nakashima — a nail that stuck up and got pounded down. He wrote in The New Republic, his now famous essay, “Concentration Camps: U.S. Style,” for which he was sent with his wife Mako to the horrendous Tule Lake Segregation Camp. ---------- I purchased this print at an estate sale in Cheyenne, WY in 2021 for $8.00. I knew nothing about Mr. Nakashima. What I did know was that I simply was captivated by this image. I won't tell you how to experience this piece of art, but there is so much there - from the black rain of the atomic fallout to the girl's expression, the dark stain running down her leg, and the "floral" treatment of the atomic blasts. So much. When I had this print properly framed, we discovered that the "backing" material behind the print was a copy of the April 28, 1974 Parade magazine insert from The South Bend Tribune (photo attached), which was a delightful find given his studies at Notre Dame and life in South Bend. This also indicates to me that this may have been a student piece or at least a self-framed piece. I also have attached a photo of one of the articles from that magazine purely for entertainment purposes.
Tom Nakashima
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Identification
This item is an original print by the renowned Japanese American artist Thomas (Tom) V. Nakashima. Based on the artist's MFA graduation from Notre Dame in 1969 and the discovery of a 1974 'Parade' magazine insert from 'The South Bend Tribune' as backing material, the print likely dates from the late 1960s to early 1970s. The style aligns with contemporary art of that period, and the printmaking technique appears to be an intaglio process, such as etching, aquatint, or drypoint, characterized by the textured lines and tonal variations. The origin location for its creation is likely South Bend, Indiana, where Nakashima resided after his studies. The specific title of the print is not provided, but its thematic elements, as interpreted by the owner, resonate strongly with Nakashima's later stated artistic focus on the atomic bombings and his Japanese American identity.
Discussion
This print holds significant artistic and historical value due to its creator, Tom Nakashima, a recognized artist whose works are held in prestigious collections like the Smithsonian American Art Museum. While prints are typically part of an edition, this specific piece's early date and the unique historical anecdote of the 1974 newspaper backing add to its individual character and provenance. The craftsmanship appears to be of high quality, demonstrating a skilled hand in printmaking techniques. The thematic depth, as described by the owner (interpreting elements as 'black rain,' a girl's expression, and 'floral' atomic blasts), aligns remarkably well with Nakashima's later articulated artistic concerns regarding the atomic bombings and his mixed ancestry, making this an early and potentially significant exploration of these themes. The condition of the print itself appears good from the image. The discovery of the acidic newspaper backing highlights a past conservation risk, but the subsequent professional framing with archival materials should have mitigated this, ensuring the print's preservation.