In the 1950s, the artists of the newly formed Gutai group of Japan worked fast and fearlessly, changing styles and mediums at will, staying abreast of the latest postwar developments abroad. The mood of this band of innovators was eclectic — and electric — as demonstrated by “Gutai: 1953-1959,” an ambitious show at Fergus McCaffrey gallery. Across some 70 works we see 11 of the artists who formed the group’s early reputation, ranging easily among abstract painting and sculpture, installation, environments and performance.

The McCaffrey effort is so large that it has taken over the cavernous space next door (formerly the Robert Miller Gallery) and at times feels like a series of solo shows. Some works here date from 1953 and helped spur the formation of Gutai a year later by several artists born mainly in the 1920s and led by an elder artist, Jiro Yoshihara (1905-1972). They excelled at hybrids and experimenting with materials, exemplified by the performative paintings that Kazuo Shiraga (1924-2008) made with his feet, usually while suspended from a swing, achieving extravagant ridges and ruts of swirling paint. One rare work involving a brown sponge hiding a bonelike object invited viewer participation: “Please Push Strong.” (You can no longer touch, but there’s a video that shows Mr. McCaffrey doing so in white gloves, and Mr. Shiraga creating his swinging paintings.)