Norio Azuma and the Art of Consignment – A Glimpse into 1970s New York

Among the paper traces of Norio Azuma’s artistic journey lies a fascinating artifact—a 1974 speed letter from Croquis Gallery in New York City. Addressed to Azuma’s Riverside Drive studio, the note documents the consignment of a silkscreen on canvas titled DAY, measuring 42 × 42 inches, edition 50 A.P., signed by the artist. The gallery, located on West 55th Street and managed by Liza Sherman, records the piece at a value of $450, with a fifty-percent commission upon sale.

Though seemingly mundane, this single page captures a vital moment in the mid-century art economy—when galleries and artists maintained relationships through handwritten agreements and typed correspondence. Azuma, who had already established his distinctive geometric and meditative visual language, was working within a thriving post-war art scene that emphasized both experimentation and collaboration. Consignment arrangements like this one reflected trust between artist and gallerist—a shared belief in the artwork’s capacity to find its audience.

The title DAY resonates with Azuma’s ongoing exploration of light, repetition, and time—concepts that permeate his prints and paintings. By 1974, his silkscreens demonstrated an architectural precision balanced by spiritual rhythm, bridging Eastern minimalism and Western abstraction. The clean lines of this letter mirror that same discipline—structured, deliberate, and yet profoundly personal.

Today, this document is more than a financial record; it is a piece of history. It reveals how Norio Azuma navigated the professional realities of the art world while remaining deeply devoted to the purity of his craft. Through correspondences like this, we glimpse not only the mechanics of his career but also the enduring integrity that defined his art.