生活図画事件

 

1941 年9 月20 日早朝、旭川師範学校美術部の学生だった菱谷良一（当時19 歳）と松本五郎（当時20 歳）は学生寮で就寝中のところを特別高等警察によって治安維持法違反の目的遂行罪で検挙される。

 

美術部での絵画教育や読書会、ルネッサンス研究会が国家を批判し、周りにその思想を啓蒙しているとされた。しかし彼らは何か強いイデオロギー的な意識を持って絵を描いていたわけではなかった。

 

にもかかわらず1942 年12 月26 日まで旭川刑務所に入れられ、その後の裁判で菱谷さんと松本さんは執行猶予つきの有罪判決を受ける。特高に押収された絵画や書籍はほとんど戻ってこなかった。残ったのは、モノクロフィルムで記録されていた彼らが描いた絵画の写真のみ。これが「生活図画事件」と呼ばれている。

 

出所後の1943 年2 月11 日、菱谷良一さんは自宅にあった妹さんの赤い帽子を被り、鏡を見ながら自画像を描いた。

 

写真集『A RED HAT』赤々舎刊行
こちら→http://www.akaaka.com/news/kentarotakahashi-a-red-hat.html

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Life Painting Case

 

In the early morning of September 20, 1941, Ryoichi Hishiya (19 years old) and Goro Matsumoto (20 years old), both students of the art club at Asahikawa Teachers’ School, were asleep in their dormitory when they were arrested by the Special Higher Police on charges of violating the Peace Preservation Law.

 

They were accused of critiquing the state and educating others about their ideology through the art club’s painting education, reading groups, and Renaissance study groups. But they were not painting with any strong ideological awareness. Nevertheless, they were held in Asahikawa Prison until December 26, 1942, and in the trial that followed, Hishiya and Matsumoto were given suspended sentences.

 

The paintings and books seized by the Special Higher Police were for the most part never returned. All that remained were photographs of their paintings, which had been captured on black-and-white film. This is known as the “Life Painting Case”.

 

After his release from prison, on February 11, 1943, Ryoichi Hishiya wore his sister’s red hat and painted a self-portrait as he looked in the mirror.

 

Photobook “A RED HAT” published by Akaaka Publishing.
link→http://www.akaaka.com/news/kentarotakahashi-a-red-hat.html