Japanese Art

This paper introduces research in progress in relation to a project to digitize the East Asian collection at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MKG). The two-year project started in November 2018, and digitizes information on the collection’s history together with the related objects. On this basis, my research focuses on the European networks of trading, collecting, researching, and promoting East Asian art from 1873, when the Vienna World’s Fair took place, to the beginning of World War I in 1914.

A child standing in an empty field, full of innocence deep in reverie, is the image that populate Yoshitomo Nara’s works. His images are opened up to different interpretations by various communities. This paper talks about how Nara engages viewers at three different levels. First, Nara’s direct expression of his personal sentiment and memory crystalizing the sense of collective emotion through his images and serves as an emotional call to his audience. Second the paper shows the influence of popular culture on Nara’s artistic creations. His incorporation of associative cues is personalized by viewers based on their individual experience. Third the paper argues that through the use of medium and structural composition, Nara captivates viewers in a direct visual dialogue with the painted figure. Nara addresses viewers in these ways that his work becomes a mirror where viewers encounter their inner selves.

La plus grande difficulté pour les occidentaux qui s'approchent de la culture orientale se trouve dans une vision fortement cartésienne qui nous induit à des procédés de rationalisation ne pouvant être aisément compris par les orientaux. Tout de même, l'aspect le plus fascinant dans cette rencontre avec l'Orient consiste dans la lecture des philosophies à la base du projet d'architecture, qui, même si aujourd'hui elle est pénétrée de tentatives de réconciliation culturelle avec l'Occident, ne s'éloigne jamais des racines qui ont toujours caractérisé les lieux de l'habiter. Donc, pour nous approcher de ce contexte culturel, on ne peut ne pas comprendre quelques définitions importantes concernant la structuration de l'espace de l'habiter et par conséquent on ne peut pas se confronter à des termes comme MA, EN, OKU.

Co łączy emakimono - historie malowane na zwojach w epoce średniowiecza - z XX-wieczną sztuką ruchomych obrazów? Okazuje się, że bardzo wiele - koncepcje plastyczne, montażowe, tematyczne wykazują daleko idące podobieństwa... Esej składa się z opisowej charakterystyki malarstwa emaki, porównania malarskich i kinowych środków wyrazu oraz analizy sekwencji montażowej z filmu "Opowieści księżycowe" (1953, reż. K. Mizoguchi), rozpinającej swoisty pomost między sztuką przeszłości i nowoczesności.

By late medieval times, it was common to describe Prince Shōtoku as "Japan's Śākyamuni, " but how was he symbolically elevated to this status? This article considers "personalized relics"-unique remains identified as a particular part of the actual body of an honored figure-and shows how they played a crucial role in transforming the sacred identities of the Japanese and South Asian princes. The three sections each deal with a different type of relic associated with Shōtoku: a miraculously manifested eye, locks of hair, and various teeth that were enshrined, stolen, and re-enshrined. These case studies trace the incremental replacement of Śākyamuni with Shōtoku as a source of religious power and authority, one that surpassed its original model for its unique and inalienable connection to devotees in medieval Japan.

Folding screens, known as byôbu in Japanese, are treasures within any museum’s collection and are beloved by the general public. This beautiful publication brings together the very finest screens from the world-renowned collections of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Saint Louis Art Museum. The featured works range from an extraordinary pair of landscapes by Sesson Shukei, a Zen-Buddhist monk-painter of the late 16th century, to daring contemporary works from the late 20th century.

The first half of the Edo period (1615–1868) is especially well represented, with a dozen screens from the 17th century by such masters as Kano Koi and Tosa Mitsuoki. The contemporary scene is also well covered, with ten examples from the 20th century—proving the longevity of this art form and its currency among modern-day artists. Enlightening essays by important scholars in the field cover topics like the emergence of screens as an art form and a novel discussion of the relationship of Japanese screens to those made in other countries.

“Exhibitions and Catalogues: The Art of Shibata Zeshin: Featuring the Edson Collection" (Tenrankai katarogu hyō: Edo no iki Meiji no waza Shibata Zeshin no urushi x e), Studies of Comparative Literature (Hikaku Bungaku Kenkyū), No.95, Tokyo: Society of Comparative Literature, University of Tokyo (Tōdai Hikaku Bungaku-kai), June 2011.

「展覧会カタログ評 「江戸の粋・明治の技 柴田是真の漆×絵」展」、『比較文學研究』、東大比較文學會発行、96号、2011年6月、151-156頁。

Visual and cultural analysis of Meiji shōnen kaiko 明治少年懐古 (Reminiscences of a Meiji youth, 1944), an illustrated book that nostalgically recalls Japan's late nineteenth and early twentieth century period of modernization. The book is in the Pulverer Collection of Japanese illustrated books of the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC and is featured on The World of the Japanese Illustrated Book website. My commentary, along with a complete set of readable images of the book, may be found here: https://pulverer.si.edu/node/440/title/1.

Em março de 2011, a exposição Bye, bye Kitty! Between Heaven and Hell in Contempo-rary Japanese Art, em Nova Iorque, propunha mostrar o trabalho de artistas que “desafiavam o longo caso de amor de seu país com a estética kawaii, forjando novos mundos conceituais e esté-ticos” (SAKURAI in ELLIOT, 2011). A um primeiro olhar, no entanto, é difícil encontrar este desafio.
A estética Superflat que predomina na arte japonesa contemporânea nasce de uma teoria de Takashi Murakami, artista plástico extremamente influenciado por um grupo de “excêntricos” que surgem ao final dos anos 1960, com o crescimento econômico pós-guerra. Até então, os artis-tas nacionais produziam o que, para o historiador de arte Nobuo Tsuji, era uma má imitação de trabalhos ocidentais. Faltava aos artistas japoneses uma “identidade nacional” (MURAKAMI, 2000). Estes “excêntricos” criavam imagens superficiais que apagavam interstícios, sem se preo-cupar com perspectivas ou excesso de detalhes, deixando o observador ciente da extrema plana-ridade das imagens. E é este movimento do olhar que utiliza para criar sua teoria.
Porém, o movimento não se refere apenas aos espaços planificados nas artes visuais; “a retração da arte japonesa do mundo adulto para o infantil do universo Superflat é devida à castra-ção política pelos Estados Unidos e outros poderios ocidentais, após a II Guerra Mundial”, argu-menta Murakami. A arte se torna um escapismo do terror coletivo de um futuro apocalítico, cri-ando fantasias que possam trazer um sopro de esperança a salarymen cansados e geeks isolados (ELLIOT). O Superflat é, portanto, um questionamento da realidade, um “palco para o futuro”, como escreve Murakami em seu Manifesto.
O objetivo desta comunicação é investigar qual o futuro que o Superflat pretende criar para a realidade japonesa neste novo mundo globalizado?

This Master’s thesis (SAMPLE) is an analysis of the statue of Shūkongōjin 執金剛神 of the Hokkedō 法華堂 (hall) of Tōdaiji 東大寺 (temple) in Nara, Japan. Information about this dynamic and well-preserved Buddhist icon, a protective divinity, has largely been drawn from stylistic analysis and records that postdate or predate the work, some of which may be spurious. Recent repairs to the clay image and its pigmented surface and subsequent studies have provided new information about the Shūkongōjin. The hall and its statues were examined twice during the periods 1996–99 and 2010–13, providing new evidence about the decorative motifs represented by the pigments on the statue; additionally, new evidence about its physical placement in the hall emerged. The objective of this thesis is to synthesize all available information regarding the statue in order to determine its most likely date and role in the ancient Hokkedō. To reach these conjectures, this thesis analyzes the appearance and iconography of the statue, early and recent scholarly opinions, worship of Henge Kannon 変化観音 (transformed forms
of the bodhisattva Kannon) in the eighth century, and the history of the Hokkedō hall. These aspects were considered as an organic whole in order to propose the most likely scenario for the Shūkongōjin statue's creation, the history of its placement in the hall, and its function therein.

In the Edo period (c. 1600-1868), exposure to Western art, science and technology encouraged Japanese 'ukiyo-e' (pictures of the floating world) artists to experiment with Western perspective in woodblock prints and book illustrations. We can see its early influence in the work of Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858), as well as Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861). Unlike Hiroshige, Kuniyoshi lived to see the opening of the port of Yokohama to trade with the West in 1859. A whole genre of Yokohama prints emerged and one of the key artists was Utagawa Sadahide (1807-1873). In his illustrated books entitled 'Yokohama kaikō kenbunshi' (A Record of Things Seen and Heard in the Open Port of Yokohama) (1862), Sadahide plays with perspective in an effort to represent the dynamic changes that Japan was undergoing in its encounter with the West at the time. In the work of later artists such as Hiroshige III (1843-1894), Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) and Inoue Yasuji (1864-1889), we can see growing efforts to depict light, shadow and depth, and a continuing fascination with the steam locomotive and the changes occurring in the Tokyo-Yokohama region as Japan entered the Meiji period (1868-1912).

"An Observation on "Hanami Benten-zu" by Kawanabe Kyōsai: Another Commemorative Painting for Tatsu"[J], Kyōsai, Vol.120, Warabi: Kawanabe Kyōsai Memorial Museum, September 2016, 29-34.

「河鍋暁斎筆《見立七福神之内 花見弁天図》に関する一考察 ― もうひとつの田鶴追善図という可能性について」『暁斎』120号、河鍋暁斎記念美術館、2016年9月、29-34頁。

A radical artist in subject matter and in photographic style, Tomatsu Shomei (1930-2012) undoubtedly laid the foundation of modern avant-garde Japanese photography. Throughout Tomatsu Shomei’s extensive photography career, he presented an array of intensely expressive photographs of the influences upon and reaction of the Japanese people to continuous trauma throughout the 20th century. Joining the blossoming post-war Japanese art scene, Tomatsu enforced the importance of photography that departed from conventional realism in the pictorial press. During the 1960s, when some of Tomatsu’s most prolific photos were taken, Tokyo was faced with rampant corruption and instability in social institutions and political powers in the already dark shadow of the war.

The 1960s was a time of incredible freedom and exploration in the art world, particularly in New York City, which witnessed the explosion of New Music, Happenings, Fluxus, New Dance, pop art, and minimalist art. Also notable during this period, although often overlooked, is the inordinate amount of revolutionary art that was created by women.

Into Performance fills a critical gap in both American and Japanese art history as it brings to light the historical significance of five women artists-Yoko Ono, Yayoi Kusama, Takako Saito, Mieko Shiomi, and Shigeko Kubota. Unusually courageous and self-determined, they were among the first Japanese women to leave their country-and its male-dominated, conservative art world-to explore the artistic possibilities in New York. They not only benefited from the New York art scene, however, they played a major role in the development of international performance and intermedia art by bridging avant garde movements in Tokyo and New York.

This book traces the pioneering work of these five women artists and the socio-cultural issues that shaped their careers. Into Performance also explores the transformation of these artists' lifestyle from traditionally confined Japanese women to internationally active artists. Yoshimoto demonstrates how their work paved the way for younger Japanese women artists who continue to seek opportunities in the West today.

Yokai is a catchall Japanese word for ghosts, demons, monsters, shape-shifters, tricksters, and other kinds of supernatural beings and mysterious phenomena. Although sometimes scary, these frightening beings are often portrayed as playful, relatable, and even cute; the experience of fear can also be amusing and fun. Explore all kinds of yokai and the ways that they became pop-culture sensations in Japan in this online exhibition.

https://yokai.moifa.org/#/

Развитие японского графического дизайна в 1950-1990-е гг. Мастера и направления. // Искусствознание. — 2011. — № 1-2. — C. 520-547.
Статья посвящена особенностям развития японского графического дизайна 1950–1990-х годов — от периода интернационального стиля типо графики до эпохи постмодернизма. Особое внимание уделяется проблемам репрезентации и функционирования образа в произ- ведениях выдающихся дизайнеров-графиков послевоенной Японии и творческим био графиям этих мастеров. Ключевые слова: японский графический дизайн, Юсаку Камекура, Казумаса Нагаи, Икко Танака, Таданори Йоко, Такенобу Игараси, Коичи Сато, Сигео Фукуда.

A pesquisa analisou as possíveis influências visuais que levaram os membros da máfia japonesa Yakuza a selecionarem o repertório de suas tatuagens. Com a verificação da recorrência das principais iconografias encontradas como dragões, peônias e flores de cerejeira, a pesquisa se concentrou em mostrar a relevância dos designs das tatuagens dos yakuzas em diálogo com os padrões tradicionais da arte japonesa no ukiyo-e e no baralho hanafuda. A busca pelas fontes da iconografia revelou a circulação e a transferência de imagens entre a China e o Japão, aspecto que se tornou latente após a grande verificação de elementos chineses como o dragão e a peônia presentes nas tatuagens dos gângsteres. Desse modo, pôde-se concluir, a partir da iconografia das tatuagens da Yakuza, a conexão entre a estética japonesa que possui grande influência da China.

I have seen the Golden Hall countless times, but even to me, as I saw it then surrounded by masses of white plum blossoms, it all but seemed to be an enchanted building and not a real structure of this world at all. In a moment, I said to myself, it will disappear, for what appears before my eyes at the moment is far too lovely to be solid and substantial.
Kitagaw Momoo, 'The Murōji' (1958) quoted in 'Murōji: Rearranging Art and History at a Japanese Buddhist Temple' (p.1)

Murōji is one of most impressive temples in Nara, situated approximately in the centre of the Japanese archipelago, in the heart of Kii Peninsula, but it is as yet much less explored by foreign tourists than other more famous neighbours. Constructed in the Enryaku era (780 - 805), Murōji is situated in a mountain valley and is famous for its dramatic location, for the exceptional quality of its ritual objects and art, which date from the ninth and tenth centuries of the Heian period, for the changing seasonal vegetation, which draws crowds in the spring to see its pink rhododendrons and in autumn for the changing colours of the maple leaves, and for its attitude to women. Often known as the ‘female Koya’, Murōji welcomed women worshippers who, until the nineteenth century, were often excluded from other sacred precincts through deep-rooted prejudices about women’s impurity.
        Murōji’s pagoda, Golden Hall and Main Hall have been designated a National Treasure and have been the subject of study by teams of Japanese specialists, but Sherry Fowler, associate professor of Japanese art history at the Center for East Asian Studies, University of Kansas, has in 'Murōji: Rearranging Art and History at a Japanese Buddhist Temple' presented the first major text in English on the temple and has made Murōji’s treasures accessible to a wider audience. Sherry Fowler’s text is based on her PhD dissertation at UCLA and represents a labour of love spread out over many years, during which she has sought to understand through the architecture, artefacts and Japanese texts about Murōji the history of the temple, its changing allegiances and traditions, the reason for the creation of particular statues and images, and why major works of early Heian sculpture were placed in a remote mountain setting. This is an absorbing text for those interested in Buddhism in Japan and Buddhist iconography.

"Bridging the Early-modern and Modern Periods: Kyōsai gadan and the idea of kokon in the time of transition", Bunka jōhō no kessetsuten toshite no zuzō ronbunshū (International Research Center for Japanese Studies ed., Kyoto: Kōyō shobō, March 2021), pp. 85-97.

「近世と近代の接続点 ―『暁斎画談』と「古今」の世界観」『文化・情報の結節点としての図像論文集』（国際日本文化研究センター編、晃洋書房、2021年3月）85～97頁。

The emergence of Modern architecture and landscape design corresponds with the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912) in Japan. This period saw Japan reopen its borders to the Western world and create a dynamic moment which fostered artistic and intellectual exchange between Japan, Europe and America. The (re-)discovery of Japanese architecture and gardening by both Western and Japanese Orientalists and the dissemination of the hitherto undiscovered built forms and conceptual thinking allowed several generations of architects and landscape architects to take part in the creation of new architectural and landscape expressions. The works of Josiah Conder, Bruno Taut, Frank Lloyd Wright, Antonin Raymond, and Isamu Noguchi are all paradigms of these Modern encounters between Japan and the West.

L’apparition d’une modernité architecturale et paysagère correspond à une période particulièrement propice aux échanges artistiques et intellectuels entre le Japon, l’Europe et les Etats-Unis, à partir de la fin de l’ère Meiji (1868-1912). La (re-)découverte de l’architecture et de l’art des jardins japonais par les orientalistes occidentaux et japonais, puis la réception et la diffusion de ses nouveaux modèles et savoirs, vont permettre à plusieurs générations d’architectes et de paysagistes de participer à la création de nouvelles expressions architecturales et paysagères. Les ouvrages de Josiah Conder ou de Bruno Taut, les oeuvres de Frank Lloyd Wright, d’Antonin Raymond, d’Isamu Noguchi, nés de ces rencontres entre le Japon et l’Occident, sont les témoins de cette modernité.