Rare first edition of Avant-Garde by legendary Japanese artist Taro Okamoto, published in 1950 by Bijutsu Shuppansha. This early postwar publication is considered one of the important theoretical texts surrounding the rise of Japanese avant-garde art after World War II. Rather than functioning as a conventional art book, Okamoto passionately explores modern art, Picasso, surrealism, abstraction, primitive energy, and the role of artistic rebellion in contemporary society. The book captures the intellectual atmosphere of postwar Japan at the moment avant-garde culture was rapidly emerging. Okamoto’s writings strongly influenced later generations of Japanese artists, photographers, designers, and experimental creators. Includes the original slipcase. An important collectible for collectors of Japanese postwar art, avant-garde theory, Gutai movement context, and modern Japanese visual culture.