Isamu Noguchi: “I am not a designer” Press Images
Model for Play Mountain [unrealized]
Made by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Model for Play Mountain [unrealized], 1933, plaster, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, purchase with funds from the Decorative Arts Acquisition Endowment, 2024.175. Photo by John Armitage. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Dinette Table (IN-20)
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Company (Zeeland, Michigan, established 1923), Dinette Table (IN-20), designed ca. 1948, made 1949–1951, birch, zinc-plated steel, and aluminum, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, purchase with funds from Sarah Eby-Ebersole and Daniel Ebersole, Margot and Danny McCaul, and Carolynn Cooper and Pratap Mukharji, 2025.247. Photo by John Armitage. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Isamu Noguchi working on designs for Akari in Japan
Isamu Noguchi working on designs for Akari in Japan, ca. 1951. The Noguchi Museum Archives, 08827.1. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Isamu Noguchi working on Akari prototypes in Japan
Isamu Noguchi working on Akari prototypes in Japan, ca. 1951. The Noguchi Museum Archives, 03609. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Isamu Noguchi, Playground, Piedmont Park
Lucinda Bunnen (American, 1930–2022), Isamu Noguchi, Playground, Piedmont Park, 1976, gelatin silver print, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, gift of the artist for the Bunnen Collection, 2016.290. © Lucinda Bunnen.
Isamu Noguchi testing his Slide Mantra as part of Isamu Noguchi: What is Sculpture? at the 1986 Venice Biennale.
Isamu Noguchi testing his Slide Mantra as part of Isamu Noguchi: What is Sculpture? at the 1986 Venice Biennale. The Noguchi Museum Archives, 144396. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Gardens for UNESCO, Paris
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Gardens for UNESCO, Paris, 1956–1958. The Noguchi Museum Archives, 150822. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Model for US Pavilion Expo ’70 [unrealized]
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) with Pavilion Associates: Peter Floyd (American, 1922–2015), Shoji Sadao (American, 1927–2019), and John McHale (British, born Scotland, 1922–1978), Model for US Pavilion Expo ’70 [unrealized], 1968, plaster, wire, and paint, The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 147232. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Horace E. Dodge Fountain, Philip A. Hart Plaza, Detroit
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) with Shoji Sadao (American, 1927–2019), Horace E. Dodge Fountain, Philip A. Hart Plaza, Detroit, 1971–1979. The Noguchi Museum Archives, 02126. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Maquette for Horace E. Dodge Fountain, Philip A. Hart Plaza, Detroit
Made by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Maquette for Horace E. Dodge Fountain, Philip A. Hart Plaza, Detroit, 1971–1979, plastic tubing and paint, The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 150866. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Isamu Noguchi working on the Horace E. Dodge Fountain for Philip A. Hart Plaza at Allied Bronze, Queens, New York
Isamu Noguchi working on the Horace E. Dodge Fountain for Philip A. Hart Plaza at Allied Bronze, Queens, New York, 1974–1975. The Noguchi Museum Archives, 04034. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Play Equipment at Moerenuma Koen
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) with Shoji Sadao (American, 1927–2019), Play Equipment at Moerenuma Koen, 1988–2004, Sapporo, Japan. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Isamu Noguchi with model for Lever House courtyard
Isamu Noguchi with model for Lever House courtyard, 1952. Photo by Charles F. Uht / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 03806. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Shin Banraisha, Keio University, Tokyo
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) with Yoshirō Taniguchi (Japanese, 1904–1979), Shin Banraisha, Keio University, Tokyo, 1950. Photo by Chuji Hirayama / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 12903. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Model for Lobby Ceiling, American Stove Company Administration Building, St. Louis, Missouri
| Made by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Model for Lobby Ceiling, American Stove Company Administration Building, St. Louis, Missouri, 1946–1947, plaster, wire, plexiglass, and aluminum, Saint Louis Art Museum, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Armstrong. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Stage Set Elements from Seraphic Dialogue
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), fabricated by Edison Price (American, 1918–1997), Stage Set Elements from Seraphic Dialogue, 1955, brass rods and steel cable, Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. Photo by Kevin Noble / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 00363. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Coffee Table (IN-50)
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Company (Zeeland, Michigan, established 1923), Coffee Table (IN-50), designed 1944, this example made ca. 1947–1953, ebonized birch, glass, and aluminum, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, gift of Fredna and Ricardo Cottingham, 1998.34 a-b. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Coffee Table (IN-50), Statue, and The Queen in his MacDougal Alley studio, New York, from “Sculptor Noguchi Designs Free-Form Tables,” House & Garden
Isamu Noguchi with a Chess Table (IN-61), Coffee Table (IN-50), Statue, and The Queen in his MacDougal Alley studio, New York, from “Sculptor Noguchi Designs Free-Form Tables,” House & Garden, January 1948. Photo by Geoffrey Baker / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 143954. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Chess Table (IN-61)
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Company (Zeeland, Michigan, established 1923), Chess Table (IN-61), designed 1944, made 1947–1949, ebonized wood laminate, aluminum, paint, and acrylic, collection of Robert Munch. © Christie’s Images / Bridgeman Images. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Small Rocking Stool (model 85-T)
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), manufactured by Knoll Inc. (New York, New York, established 1938), Small Rocking Stool (model 85-T), designed 1954–1955, made 1956–1957, birch and chrome-plated steel, collection of Robert Munch. Image courtesy of Rago / Wright. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Prismatic Tables
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), manufactured by Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, established 1888), Prismatic Tables, 1957, painted aluminum, Carnegie Museum of Art, gift of Torrence M. Hunt, Sr., 2004.9.1-.2. Image courtesy of Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / Art Resource, New York. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Akari (model E)
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), fabricated by Ozeki & Co., Ltd. (Gifu, Japan, established 1891), Akari (model E), designed 1951–1954, manufactured beginning 1954, mulberry bark paper, bamboo, and wire, High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Photo by Kevin Noble / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 152735. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Isamu Noguchi
| Louise Dahl-Wolfe (American, 1895–1989), Isamu Noguchi, 1955, gelatin silver print. © Center for Creative Photography, Arizona Board of Regents. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Jungle Gym from Stephen Acrobat
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Jungle Gym from Stephen Acrobat, 1947, steel, plastic, and paint, The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble / The Noguchi Museum Archives, 00189. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Table
| Made by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Table, ca. 1941, laminated and carved avodire, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Philip L. Goodwin Collection (gift of James L. Goodwin, Henry Sage Goodwin, and Richmond L. Brown). Digital Image © The Museum of Modern Art / Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, New York. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Table
| Made by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) with mosaics by Jeanne Reynal (American, 1903–1983), Table, 1942, magnesite, paint, and mosaic tiles, The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Floating Lunar (Light Plaque)
| Made by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Floating Lunar (Light Plaque), 1943–1944, gypsum plaster, paint, wood, electrical components, and cotton thread, Baltimore Museum of Art, gift of Edward M. Benesch, 1961.46. Photo by Mitro Hood. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Park Proposal for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Competition, St. Louis, Missouri [unrealized]
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) with Edward Durell Stone (American, 1902–1978), Park Proposal for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Competition, St. Louis, Missouri [unrealized], 1947, graphite pencil on yellow tracing paper, Edward Durell Stone Papers, Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
“House by Isamu Noguchi and Kazumi Adachi,” with photos by Vlad Balabanov, in Arts & Architecture 72, no. 11 (November 1955): 26
“House by Isamu Noguchi and Kazumi Adachi,” with photos by Vlad Balabanov, in Arts & Architecture 72, no. 11 (November 1955): 26. © 2007–2025 David F. Travers (assigned to Travers Family Trusts). Used with permission. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
“House by Isamu Noguchi and Kazumi Adachi,” with photos by Vlad Balabanov, in Arts & Architecture 72, no. 11 (November 1955): 27
| “House by Isamu Noguchi and Kazumi Adachi,” with photos by Vlad Balabanov, in Arts & Architecture 72, no. 11 (November 1955): 27. © 2007–2025 David F. Travers (assigned to Travers Family Trusts). Used with permission. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Marble-Topped Coffee Table
Made by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), Marble-Topped Coffee Table, 1945, marble, wood, and spun aluminum, private collection, courtesy of The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York. Photo by Kevin Noble. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Couch (IN-70) and Bench (IN-71)
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Company (Zeeland, Michigan, established 1923), Couch (IN-70) and Bench (IN-71), designed 1948–1949, made 1949–1951, wood, maple laminate, and replaced cotton upholstery, Milwaukee Art Museum, gift of Gilbert and J. Dorothy Palay. Photo by Efraim Lev-er. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Pierced Table
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), edition produced by Peter Carlson Enterprises (Los Angeles, California, 1971–2010), published by Gemini G.E.L. (Los Angeles, California, established 1966), Pierced Table, started 1982, published 1983, hot-dipped galvanized steel; eleven from an edition of eighteen, private collection. Photo by Joshua White / JWPictures. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Model for Liam O’Gallagher and Robert Rheem House in Carmel, California [unrealized]
| Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988) with Kazumi Adachi (American, 1913–1992), Model for Liam O’Gallagher and Robert Rheem House in Carmel, California [unrealized], 1955, plywood, paperboard, wood, paper, pencil, ink, paint, and stones, collection of the Oakland Museum of California. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. |
Akari (model 1A)
Designed by Isamu Noguchi (American, 1904–1988), fabricated by Ozeki & Co., Ltd. (Gifu, Japan, established 1891), Akari (model 1A), designed 1951–1954, this example fabricated ca. 1954, mulberry bark paper, bamboo, metal, and original electrical components, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, purchase with funds from the Decorative Arts Acquisition Endowment, 2024.176. Photo by John Armitage. © 2026 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
