Tatsumi Orimoto, otherwise known as the "Bread Man," has finally cracked the Japanese art scene with "Art Mama + Bread Man," an extraordinary exhibition of photos, videos and live performances at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art. Street performance is in the house and Orimoto will nevermore be a "dirty, crazy bum," as one Tokyo mother once told her curious children as she warned them to keep away from him.
Orimoto has risen to the heights of national fame, receiving massive publicity with NHK interviews and nationwide coverage in the vernacular press. He has made it on the basis of sheer tenacity and belief in the importance of his work.
Surprisingly enough, Bread Man first began as a performance in Gallery K in Ginza, not on the street, as the stocky 53-year-old artist with the open, friendly face, jovial laugh and loud voice explains.