"He absorbed the geometric abstraction of Mondrian and the drip and fling of Pollock. Other Yamamoto paintings have bright bands of color over abstract fields a la Hofmann, or loose, open brushwork in the manner of the abstract expressionists, but always with Yamamoto's own touch..." - Susan Rand Brown, 2012
Taro Yamamoto, a key figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1950s in New York City, was born in Hollywood, California, in 1919. After being sent to Japan for a traditional education, he developed a passion for painting and decided to pursue art as a career. Upon returning to the United States, he studied cubism at Los Angeles City College. Serving in World War II, he later resumed his studies at Santa Monica City College.
In 1950, Yamamoto moved to New York City, enrolling at the Art Students League and collaborating with influential artists like Yasuo Kuniyoshi and others. His work garnered recognition, including a John Sloan Fellowship in 1952. He traveled to Europe with an Edward G. MacDowell Traveling Fellowship, studying in Germany and exhibiting in Paris. A residency at the MacDowell Colony in 1954 allowed him to work alongside prominent artists, shaping his unique abstract expressionist style.
Throughout his career, Yamamoto exhibited extensively in renowned galleries and institutions such as Stable Gallery, Krasner Gallery, and Riverside Museum in New York, as well as Provincetown Art Association & Museum and Miami Museum of Modern Art. His later focus shifted to hard-edge painting.