Monochrome painting of Japan is one of the unique phenomena of the art of the East. A lot of works and studies are devoted to it, but it is often perceived as a very conditional thing, and sometimes even decorative. This is not so. The spiritual world of the Japanese artist is very rich, and he cares not so much about the aesthetic component, but about the spiritual one. Art of the East is a synthesis of external and internal, explicit and implicit.
In this post, I would like to pay attention not to the history of monochrome painting, but to its essence. This will be discussed.
Screen "Pine" Hasegawa Tohaku, 1593.
What we see in monochrome paintings is the result of the artist's interaction with the pine triad: paper, brush, ink. Therefore, in order to properly understand the work, one must understand the artist himself and his attitude.
"Landscape" Sesshu, 1398
Paper for the Japanese master, it’s not just the material at hand, which he subordinates to his whim, but rather, on the contrary, it is a “brother”, therefore, the attitude towards it has developed accordingly. Paper is a part of the surrounding nature, which the Japanese have always treated with reverence and tried not to subjugate, but to coexist peacefully with it. Paper is in the past a tree that stood in a certain area, certain time, “saw” something around her, and she keeps it all. This is how the Japanese artist perceives the material. Often, the masters, before starting work, looked for a long time at clear sheet(contemplated it) and only then proceeded to painting. Even today, contemporary Japanese artists who practice Nihon-ga (traditional Japanese painting) carefully choose their paper. They buy it on order from paper mills. For each artist of a certain thickness, moisture permeability and texture (many artists even enter into an agreement with the owner of the factory not to sell this paper to other artists) - therefore, each painting is perceived as something unique and alive.
"Reading in a bamboo grove" Shubun, 1446.
Speaking about the significance of this material, it is worth mentioning such famous monuments Japanese literature such as Sei Shonagon's "Notes at the Headboard" and Murasaki Shikibu's "Genji Monogotari": in both "Notes" and "Genji" you can find scenes when courtiers or lovers exchange messages. The paper on which these messages were written was of the appropriate season, shade, and the manner of writing the text corresponded to its texture.
"Murasaki Shikibu at Ishiyama Shrine" Kyosen
Brush- the second component is the continuation of the master's hand (again, this is a natural material). Therefore, brushes were also made to order, but most often by the artist himself. He selected the hairs of the required length, chose the size of the brush and the most comfortable handle. The master writes only with his own brush and no other. (From personal experience: I was at the master class of the Chinese artist Jiang Shilun, the audience was asked to show what his students who were present at the master class can do, and each of them, picking up the master’s brush, said that it would turn out not what they expected , since the brush is not theirs, they are not used to it and do not know how to use it correctly).
"Fuji" ink sketch by Katsushika Hokusai
ink is the third important element. Mascara can be of different types: it can give a glossy or matte effect after drying, it can be mixed with silver or ocher shades, so the right choice of mascara is also not unimportant.
Yamamoto Baitsu, late 18th- XIX century.
The main subjects of monochrome painting are landscapes. Why don't they have color?
Twin screen "Pines", Hasegawa Tohaku
Firstly, the Japanese artist is not interested in the object itself, but in its essence, a certain component that is common to all living things and leads to harmony between man and nature. Therefore, the image is always a hint, it is addressed to our feelings, and not to vision. Understatement is a stimulus for dialogue, and hence connection. Lines and spots are important in the image - they form artistic language. This is not the liberty of the master, who, where he wanted, left a greasy mark there, and in another place, on the contrary, did not draw well - in the picture everything has its own meaning and significance, and does not carry a random character.
Secondly, color always carries some kind of emotional connotation and is perceived differently by different people in different states, so emotional neutrality allows the viewer to most adequately enter into a dialogue, position him for perception, contemplation, thought.
Thirdly, this is the interaction of yin and yang, any monochrome picture is harmonious in terms of the ratio of ink and the untouched area of paper in it.
Why most of paper space is not used?
"Landscape" Syubun, middle of the 15th century.
First, the vacancy of space immerses the viewer in the image; secondly, the image is created as if it floated to the surface for a moment and is about to disappear - this is connected with the worldview and worldview; thirdly, in those areas where there is no ink, the texture and shade of paper come to the fore (this is not always visible on reproductions, but in reality it is always the interaction of two materials - paper and ink).
Sesshu, 1446
Why landscape?
"Contemplation of the Waterfall" Gayami, 1478
According to the Japanese worldview, nature is more perfect than man, so he must learn from her, protect her in every possible way, and not destroy or subjugate. Therefore, in many landscapes you can see small images of people, but they are always insignificant, small in relation to the landscape itself, or images of huts that fit into the space around them and are not even always noticeable - these are all symbols of the worldview.
"Seasons: Autumn and Winter" Sesshu. "Landscape" Sesshu, 1481
In conclusion, I want to say that Japanese monochrome painting is not randomly splashed ink, it is not a whim of the artist's inner ego - it is a whole system of images and symbols, it is a repository of philosophical thought, and most importantly, a way of communication and harmonization of oneself and the world around.
Here, I think, are the answers to the main questions that the viewer has when confronted with monochrome Japanese painting. I hope they will help you to understand it most correctly and perceive it when you meet.
Japanese painting is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Japanese painting is one of the most ancient and amazing views creativity. Like any other, it has its own long history, which can be divided into several periods according to techniques and features. Common to all periods is nature, which was given the main place in the paintings. In second place in popularity in the fine arts of Japan are domestic scenes from life.
Yamato
Yamato(VI-VII centuries) - the first period of Japanese art, which laid the foundation for writing. The impetus for the development of art was given by China's achievements in the fields of religion and writing. Japan rushed to rise to his level, making changes in its structure and building everything in the likeness of China. For the development of painting, a huge number of works by Chinese masters were brought to Japan, which inspired the Japanese, who boldly rushed to create similar paintings.
Painting in Takamatsuzuka Tomb
This period consists of two child periods:
- Kofun- the period of Japanese art, occupying the first half of Yamato. The name of the period is translated as "the period of barrows". In those days, indeed, big role assigned to mounds, creating them everywhere.
- Asuka- the second part of the Yamato era. The period was named after the political center of the country that was active in those years. It is associated with the arrival of Buddhism in Japan, and in the future with the active development of all cultural areas.
Nara
Buddhism, which came from China, was actively spreading in Japan, which contributed to the emergence of religious themes in art. Japanese artists, carried away by this topic, painted the walls of temples, which were created by influential personalities. To date, the Horyu-ji temple has preserved wall paintings from that time.
Azuchi-Momoyama
This period is the exact opposite of its predecessor. Gloom and monochrome disappear from the works, being replaced by bright colors and the use of gold and silver in the paintings.
Cypress. Screen. Kano Eitoku.
Meiji
In the 19th century, the division of Japanese painting into traditional and European styles began, which vigorously competed with each other. During this period, tremendous political changes broke out in Japan. The influence of Europe in those years affected almost every corner of the planet, introducing its own features into each state. European style art was actively supported by the authorities, rejecting the old traditions. But soon the excitement around Western painting quickly subsided and interest in traditional art returned sharply.
Development of Japanese painting updated: September 15, 2017 by: Valentine
Japanese classical painting has a long and interesting story. The visual arts of Japan are represented in different styles and genres, each of which is unique in its own way. Ancient painted figurines and geometric motifs found on dotaku bronze bells and pottery shards date back to 300 AD.
Buddhist orientation of art
In Japan, the art of wall painting was quite well developed; in the 6th century, images on the theme of the philosophy of Buddhism were especially popular. At that time, large temples were being built in the country, and their walls were everywhere decorated with frescoes painted according to the plots of Buddhist myths and legends. Until now, ancient samples of wall paintings have been preserved in the Horyuji temple near the Japanese city of Nara. Horyuji's frescoes depict scenes from the life of the Buddha and other gods. The artistic style of these frescoes is very close to the pictorial concept popular in China during the Song Dynasty.
The picturesque style of the Tang Dynasty gained particular popularity in the middle of the Nara period. The frescoes found in the tomb of Takamatsuzuka belong to this period and are dated to around the 7th century AD. The artistic technique, which was formed under the influence of the Tang Dynasty, subsequently formed the basis of the kara-e painting genre. This genre retained its popularity until the appearance of the first works in the yamato-e style. Most of the frescoes and pictorial masterpieces are by unknown artists, today many of the works of that period are kept in the Sesoin treasury.
The growing influence of new Buddhist schools such as the Tendai influenced the broad religious focus of Japanese visual arts in the 8th and 9th centuries. In the 10th century, which saw particular progress Japanese Buddhism, a genre of raigōzu, "welcome paintings" appeared, which depicted the arrival of the Buddha in the Western Paradise. Early examples raigozu dating back to 1053 can be seen at the Bedo-in Temple, which is preserved in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture.
Changing styles
In the middle of the Heian period to replace Chinese style kara-e comes the yamato-e genre, which for a long time becomes one of the most popular and sought-after genres of Japanese painting. New painterly style mainly used in the painting of folding screens and sliding doors. Over time, yamato-e moved to the horizontal scrolls of emakimono. Artists who worked in the emaki genre tried to convey in their works all the emotionality of the chosen plot. The Genji monogatari scroll consisted of several episodes connected together, the artists of the time used quick strokes and bright, expressive colors.
E-maki is one of the oldest and most prominent examples of otoko-e, a painting genre. male portraits. Women's portraits highlighted in separate genre onna-e. Between these genres, in fact, as well as between men and women, there are quite significant differences. The onna-e style is colorfully represented in the design of the Tale of Genji, where the main themes of the drawings are romantic plots, scenes from court life. The male style of otoko-e is predominantly artistic image historical battles and other important events in the life of the empire.
The classical Japanese art school has become fertile ground for the development and promotion of ideas. contemporary art Japan, which clearly shows the influence of pop culture and anime. One of the most famous Japanese artists of our time is Takashi Murakami, whose work is dedicated to depicting scenes from Japanese life in the post-war period and the concept of the maximum fusion of fine art and the mainstream.
From famous Japanese artists classical school the following can be named.
Tense Shubun
Shubun worked at the beginning of the 15th century, devoting a lot of time to studying the works of Chinese masters of the Song Dynasty era, this man stood at the origins of Japanese fine genre. Shubun is considered the founder of sumi-e, monochrome ink painting. He made a lot of efforts to popularize the new genre, turning it into one of the leading trends in Japanese painting. Shubun's students were many artists who later became famous, including Sesshu and the founder of the famous art school Kano Masanobu. Many landscapes have been attributed to Shubun, but his most famous work is traditionally considered Reading in a Bamboo Grove.
Ogata Korin (1658-1716)
Ogata Korin is one of the largest artists in the history of Japanese painting, the founder and one of the brightest representatives of the rimpa art style. Korin boldly departed from traditional stereotypes in his works, having formed his own own style, whose main characteristics were small forms and vivid impressionism of the plot. Korin is known for his particular skill in depicting nature and working with abstract color compositions. “Plum blossom red and white” is one of the most famous works of Ogata Korin, his paintings “Chrysanthemums”, “Waves of Matsushima” and a number of others are also known.
Hasegawa Tohaku (1539-1610)
Tohaku is the founder of the Japanese art school Hasegawa. For early period Tohaku's work is characterized by the influence of the famous school of Japanese painting 
Kano, but over time the artist formed his own unique style. In many ways, Tohaku's work was influenced by the work of the recognized master Sesshu, Hosegawa even considered himself the fifth successor of this great master. Hasegawa Tohaku's painting "Pines" received world fame, his works “Maple”, “Pines and flowering plants" other.
Kano Eitoku (1543-1590)
The Kanō school style dominated the fine arts of Japan for about four centuries, and Kanō Eitoku is perhaps one of the most famous and prominent representatives this art school. Eitoku was favored by the authorities, the patronage of aristocrats and wealthy patrons could not but contribute to the strengthening of his school and the popularity of the works of this, no doubt, a very talented artist. Eight-panel sliding screen "Cypress", painted by Eitoku Kano, is a real masterpiece and a prime example scope and power of the Monoyama style. Other works of the master look no less interesting, such as "Birds and Trees of the Four Seasons", "Chinese Lions", "Hermits and a Fairy" and many others.
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
Hokusai - greatest master ukiyo-e (Japanese woodcut). The work of Hokusai received world recognition, his fame in other countries is not comparable with the popularity of most Asian artists, his work " A big wave in Kanagawa" became something like business card Japanese fine arts on the world art scene. On his creative path, Hokusai used more than thirty pseudonyms, after sixty the artist devoted himself entirely to art, and it is this time that is considered the most fruitful period of his work. Hokusai's work influenced the work of Western Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masters, including the work of Renoir, Monet and van Gogh.
Has a very rich history; its tradition is extensive, with Japan's unique position in the world largely influencing the dominant styles and techniques of Japanese artists. Known fact That Japan has been quite isolated for centuries is due not only to geography, but also to the dominant Japanese cultural proclivity for isolation that has marked the country's history. During the centuries of what we might call "Japanese civilization", culture and art developed separately from those in the rest of the world. And this is even noticeable in the practice of Japanese painting. For example, the Nihonga paintings are among the staples of Japanese painting practice. It is based on over a thousand years of tradition, and the paintings are usually created with brushes on your (Japanese paper) or egina (silk).
However, Japanese art and painting were influenced by foreign artistic practices. First, it was Chinese art in the 16th century and Chinese painting and chinese tradition art, which was particularly influential in several aspects. As of the 17th century japanese painting was also influenced Western traditions. In particular, during the pre-war period, which lasted from 1868 to 1945, Japanese painting was influenced by Impressionism and European Romanticism. At the same time, new European art movements were also significantly influenced by Japanese artistic techniques. In art history, this influence is referred to as "Japanism", and it is especially significant for the Impressionists, Cubists and artists associated with modernism.
Long story Japanese painting can be seen as a synthesis of several traditions that create parts of a recognized Japanese aesthetics. First of all, Buddhist art and painting methods, as well as religious painting, left a significant mark on the aesthetics of Japanese paintings; water-ink painting of landscapes in the tradition of Chinese literary painting is another important element recognized in many famous Japanese paintings; painting of animals and plants, especially birds and flowers, is what is commonly associated with Japanese compositions, as are landscapes and scenes from Everyday life. Finally, ancient ideas about beauty from philosophy and culture had a great influence on Japanese painting. ancient japan. Wabi, which means transient and harsh beauty, sabi (the beauty of natural patina and aging) and yugen (deep grace and subtlety) still influence the ideals in the practice of Japanese painting.
Finally, if we focus on choosing the ten most famous Japanese masterpieces, we must mention ukiyo-e, which is one of the most popular genres of art in Japan, even though it belongs to printmaking. He dominated in Japanese art from the 17th - 19th century, while artists belonging to this genre created woodcuts and paintings with objects such as beautiful girls, kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers, as well as scenes from history and folk tales, travel scenes and landscapes, flora and fauna, and even erotica.
It is always difficult to make a list of the best paintings from artistic traditions. Many amazing works will be excluded; however, this list features ten of the most recognizable Japanese paintings in the world. This article will present only paintings created from the 19th century to the present day.
Japanese painting has an extremely rich history. Over centuries Japanese artists developed a large number of unique techniques and styles, which are Japan's most valuable contribution to the art world. One of these techniques is sumi-e. Sumi-e literally means "ink drawing", combining calligraphy and ink painting to create a rare beauty of brush-painted compositions. This beauty is paradoxical - ancient yet modern, simple yet complex, bold yet subdued, undoubtedly reflecting the spiritual basis of art in Zen Buddhism. Buddhist priests brought the hard ink block and the bamboo brush to Japan from China in the sixth century, and over the past 14 centuries, Japan has developed a rich heritage of ink painting.
Scroll down and see 10 Japanese Painting Masterpieces
1. Katsushika Hokusai "Dream of the Fisherman's Wife"
One of the most recognizable Japanese paintings is The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife. It was written in 1814 famous artist Hokusai. According to strict definitions, this amazing work Hokusai cannot be considered as a painting, as it is an ukiyo-e woodcut from Young Pines (Kinoe no Komatsu), which is a three-volume shunga book. The composition depicts a young ama diver sexually entwined with a pair of octopuses. This image was highly influential in the 19th and 20th centuries. The work influenced more late artists such as Felicien Rops, Auguste Rodin, Luis Ocock, Fernand Khnopf and Pablo Picasso.
2. Tessai Tomioka "Abe no Nakamaro writes a nostalgic poem while watching the moon"
Tessai Tomioka is the pseudonym of a famous Japanese artist and calligrapher. He is considered the last major artist in the bungjing tradition and one of the first major artists Nihonga style. Bunjinga was a school of Japanese painting that flourished during the late Edo period among artists who considered themselves literati or intellectuals. Each of these artists, including Tessaia, developed their own style and technique, but they were all big fans of Chinese art and culture.
3. Fujishima Takeji "Sunrise over the East Sea"
Fujishima Takeji was a Japanese artist known for his work in developing Romanticism and Impressionism in the Yoga (Western style) art movement of the late 19th and early 20th century. In 1905 he traveled to France, where he was influenced by the French movements of the time, in particular Impressionism, as can be seen in his painting "Sunrise over East Sea", which was written in 1932.
4. Kitagawa Utamaro "Ten types of female faces, a collection of dominating beauties"
Kitagawa Utamaro was a prominent Japanese artist who was born in 1753 and died in 1806. He is by far best known for a series called The Ten Types female faces. Collection of ruling beauties, themes Great love Classical Poetry" (sometimes called "Women in Love", containing separate engravings "Naked Love" and "Pensive Love"). He is one of the most significant artists belonging to the ukiyo-e woodcut genre.
5. Kawanabe Kyosai "Tiger"
Kawanabe Kyosai was one of the most famous Japanese artists of the Edo period. His art was influenced by Tohaku, a 16th-century Kano painter who was the only painter of his day to paint screens entirely in ink against a delicate background of powdered gold. Although Kyosai is known as a cartoonist, he has written some of the most famous paintings in Japanese history Art XIX century. "Tiger" is one of those paintings that Kyosai used watercolor and ink to create.
6. Hiroshi Yoshida Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi
Hiroshi Yoshida is known as one of the most big figures shin-hanga style (shin-hanga is artistic movement in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, during the Taisho and Showa periods, which revived the traditional art of ukiyo-e, which took root in the Edo and Meiji periods (XVII - XIX centuries)). He was trained in the tradition of Western oil painting, which was adopted in Japan during the Meiji period.
7. Takashi Murakami "727"
Takashi Murakami is probably the most popular Japanese artist of our time. His work sells for astronomical prices at major auctions, and creativity is already inspiring new generations of artists not only in Japan, but also abroad. Murakami's art includes a range of mediums and is usually described as super-flat. His work is known for his use of color, incorporating motifs from Japanese traditional and popular culture. The content of his paintings is often described as "cute", "psychedelic", or "satirical".
8. Yayoi Kusama "Pumpkin"
Yaoi Kusama is also one of the most famous Japanese artists. She works in a variety of mediums, including painting, collage, scat sculpture, performance art, environmental art, and installation, most of which demonstrate her thematic interest in psychedelic colors, repetition, and pattern. One of the most famous series this great artist is the Pumpkin series. A polka-dotted regular gourd in bright yellow is shown against a net. Together, all such elements form a visual language that is unmistakable to the artist's style, and has been developed and refined over decades of painstaking crafting and reproduction.
9. Tenmyoya Hisashi "Japanese Spirit #14"
Tenmyoya Hisashi is a contemporary Japanese artist who is known for his neo-nihonga paintings. He participated in the revival old tradition Japanese painting, which is the exact opposite of modern Japanese painting. In 2000 he also created his a new style butouha, who demonstrates a firm attitude towards authority art system through his paintings. "Japanese Spirit No. 14" was created as part of the "BASARA" artistic scheme, interpreted in Japanese culture as the rebellious behavior of the lower aristocracy during the Warring States period to deprive the authorities of the ability to achieve an ideal lifestyle by dressing in pompous and luxurious clothes and acting on a free will that did not suit their social class.
10. Katsushika Hokusai "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa"
Finally, The Great Wave off Kanagawa is probably the most recognizable japanese painting ever written. This is actually the most famous piece of art created in Japan. It depicts huge waves threatening boats off the coast of Kanagawa Prefecture. Although sometimes mistaken for a tsunami, the wave, as the name of the picture suggests, most likely simply has an anomalous great height. The painting is made in the ukiyo-e tradition.
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01.02.18 09:02
Today's art scene Japan is very diverse and provocative: considering the work of masters from the Country rising sun You will think that you have landed on another planet! It is home to innovators who have changed the landscape of the industry on a global scale. We present you a list of 10 contemporary Japanese artists and their creations - from incredible creatures Takashi Murakami (who is celebrating his birthday today) to the colorful universe of Kusama.
From futuristic worlds to dotted constellations: contemporary Japanese artists
Takashi Murakami: traditionalist and classic
Let's start with the hero of the occasion! Takashi Murakami is one of Japan's most iconic contemporary artists, working on paintings, large-scale sculptures and fashion. Murakami's style is influenced by manga and anime. He is the founder of the Superflat movement, which supports Japanese artistic traditions and postwar culture. Murakami promoted many of his fellow contemporaries, we will also get to know some of them today. "Subcultural" works by Takashi Murakami are presented in the fashion and art art markets. His provocative My Lonesome Cowboy (1998) was sold in New York at Sotheby's in 2008 for a record $15.2 million. Murakami has collaborated with world famous brands Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Issey Miyake.
Tycho Asima and her surreal universe
A member of the art production company Kaikai Kiki and the Superflat movement (both founded by Takashi Murakami), Chiho Ashima is known for her fantasy cityscapes and weird pop creatures. The artist creates surrealistic dreams inhabited by demons, ghosts, young beauties depicted against the backdrop of outlandish nature. Her works are usually large-scale and printed on paper, leather, plastic. In 2006, this modern Japanese artist participated in Art on the Underground in London. She created 17 consecutive arcs for the platform - magical landscape gradually turned from day to night, from urban to rural. This miracle blossomed at the Gloucester Road tube station.
Chiharu Shima and Infinite Threads
Another artist, Chiharu Shiota, is working on large-scale visual installations for specific landmarks. She was born in Osaka, but now lives in Germany - in Berlin. The central themes of her work are oblivion and memory, dreams and reality, past and present, and also the confrontation of anxiety. Chiharu Shiota's most famous works are the impenetrable webs of black thread that envelop many everyday and personal items such as old chairs, a wedding dress, a burnt piano. In the summer of 2014, Shiota connected more than 300 shoes and boots donated to her with threads of red yarn and hung them on hooks. Chiharu's first exhibition in the German capital was held during the Berlin Art Week in 2016 and caused a sensation.
Hey Arakawa: everywhere, not anywhere
Ei Arakawa is inspired by states of change, periods of instability, elements of risk, and his installations often symbolize the themes of friendship and teamwork. The credo of the contemporary Japanese artist is defined by the performative indefinite "everywhere but nowhere". His creations pop up in unexpected places. In 2013, Arakawa's work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale and in the exhibition of Japanese contemporary art at the Mori Art Museum (Tokyo). The Hawaiian Presence installation (2014) was joint project with New York artist Carissa Rodriguez and participated in the Whitney Biennale. Also in 2014, Arakawa and his brother Tomu, performing as a duet called the United Brothers, offered visitors to Frieze London their "work" "The This Soup Taste Ambivalent" with "radioactive" Fukushima daikon roots.
Koki Tanaka: Relationship and Repetition
In 2015, Koki Tanaka was named Artist of the Year. Tanaka explores the shared experience of creativity and imagination, encourages exchange between project participants, and advocates for new rules for collaboration. His installation in the Japanese pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale consisted of videos of objects turning the space into a platform for art exchange. Koki Tanaka's installations (not to be confused with his full namesake actor) illustrate the relationship between objects and actions, such as the video recording of simple gestures performed with ordinary objects (knife slicing vegetables, beer being poured into a glass, opening an umbrella). Nothing significant happens, but the obsessive repetition and attention to the smallest details make the viewer appreciate the mundane.
Mariko Mori and streamlined shapes
Another contemporary Japanese artist, Mariko Mori, "conjures" multimedia objects, combining videos, photos, objects. She has a minimalist futuristic vision and sleek, surreal forms. A recurring theme in Mori's work is the juxtaposition of Western legend with Western culture. In 2010, Mariko founded the Fau Foundation, an educational cultural non-profit organization, for which she produced a series of her art installations in honor of the six inhabited continents. Most recently, the Foundation's permanent installation, The Ring: One with Nature, was hoisted over a picturesque waterfall in Resende near Rio de Janeiro.
Ryoji Ikeda: Sound and Video Synthesis
Ryoji Ikeda is a new media artist and composer whose work is mainly related to sound in different "raw" states, from sinusoidal sounds to noises using frequencies at the edge of human hearing. His breathtaking installations include computer-generated sounds that are visually transformed into video projections or digital templates. Ikeda's audiovisual art objects use scale, light, shadow, volume, electronic sounds and rhythm. The artist's famous test object consists of five projectors that illuminate an area 28 meters long and 8 meters wide. The unit converts data (text, sounds, photos and movies) into a barcode and binary patterns of zeros and ones.
Tatsuo Miyajima and LED counters
Contemporary Japanese sculptor and installation artist Tatsuo Miyajima uses in his art electrical circuits, video, computers and other gadgets. The main concepts of Miyajima are inspired by humanistic ideas and Buddhist teachings. The LED counters in his setup flash continuously in a repetition of 1 to 9, symbolizing the journey from life to death, but avoiding the finality that is represented by 0 (zero never appears in Tatsuo's work). The ubiquitous numbers in grids, towers, and diagrams express Miyajima's interest in the ideas of continuity, eternity, connection, and the flow of time and space. Not so long ago, Miyajima's Arrow of Time object was shown at the inaugural exhibition "Incomplete Thoughts Visible in New York".
Nara Yoshimoto and the Evil Children
Nara Yoshimoto creates paintings, sculptures and drawings of children and dogs, subjects that reflect the childish sense of boredom and frustration and the fierce independence that comes naturally to toddlers. The aesthetic of Yoshimoto's work is reminiscent of traditional book illustrations, is a mixture of uneasy tension and the artist's love of punk rock. In 2011, the Asian Society Museum in New York hosted the first personal exhibition Yoshimoto titled "Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody's Fool", covering the 20-year career of a contemporary Japanese artist. The exhibits were closely connected with the world's youth subcultures, their alienation and protest.
Yayoi Kusama and the space that grows with outlandish forms
An amazing creative biography of Yayoi Kusama spans seven decades. During this time, an amazing Japanese woman managed to study the fields of painting, graphics, collage, sculpture, cinema, engraving, environmental art, installation, as well as literature, fashion and fashion design. Kusama developed a highly distinctive style of dot art that has become her trademark. Illusory visions presented in the works of 88-year-old Kusama (when the world seems to be covered with sprawling outlandish forms) is the result of hallucinations she has experienced since childhood. Rooms with colorful dots and "endless" mirrors reflecting their accumulations are recognizable, they cannot be confused with anything else.
