Stephen LeWinter
Identity
This presentation features the work of several artists that combine traditional and
experimental techniques. Their work is a blending or fusing of Eastern and Western
Aesthetics, as well as traditional and experimental media. The result is powerful, unique
but subtle imagery that visually comments on certain aspects of Japanese society. There
is a vitality and originality to be found in this work that embraces new ideas and struggles
with personal interpretations or solutions.
The themes found in the artwork of Mariko Mori embrace traditional Japanese customs,
rituals, religion and the role of women in today’s society. Her art is an attempt to look
inward at Japan. Like the American Andy Warhol and American photographer Cindy
Sherman, Mori creates different personas and situations that can be though provoking,
even disturbing. The issue of identity in all of its many manifestations is the underlining
basis for her work.
In the self portrait series Mori presents herself as an anime or manga heroine and also
comments on the nature of Pop Culture. Mori’s capsule piece is an artistic interpretation
of the Japanese tradition of the “Jisei” or farewell poem to life. Mori views death as not
an end of life, but a continuous journey.
In her installation work “The Dream Temple” Mori expresses themes of energy,
meditation and technology. Like her other work it is based on some aspect of Japanese
identity.
Tomoko Wawada is a photographer whose work looks at the ritual of “omiai”. This
Japanese custom involves women having their photographs professionally taken as part
of a pre-arranged marriage process.
These photographs would be distributed to family and relatives in order to find a suitable
husband. Sawada appears in each photograph using make-up and costumes to create the
different personalities portrayed.
A number of artist continue Japan’s rich heritage found in the ukiyo-e print. In most ases
these prints are done by individual artists usually working alone. This is in contrast to the
making of ukiuo-e prints that involved an artist, woodblock carver, printer and publisher.
A broad range of printmaking techniques are used to explore man and nature. Three such
artists are Susumu Endo, Yoshikatsu Tamekane and Katsunori Hamanishi.
Stephen LeWinter
Japan Summer Institute
Summer 2004
Dialogue: Engaging Art
1. How has the artist used the elements and principles of design?
2. Is the media appropriate? How else might the artist illustrate what they see?
3. How has your own culture, history and nationality form your response to the
work?
4. What does the artwork remind you of in general terms?
5. What do you believe was the artist’s intent?
6. Do you like or dislike the work and why?
Bibliography
Delay, Nelly, The Art and Culture of Japan, Abrams,1999
Fleming, Jeff, My Reality: Contemporary Art and the Culture of Japanese Animation,
2001
Halbreich, Kathy, Against Nature: Japanese Art in the Eighties, MIT, 1989
Hillier, Jack, The Art of the Japanese Book, 1987
Ishimatshu, Tanaka & Isigawa, Masco, Heritage of Japanese Art, 1992
Leach, Mark R. ,Inside Out: Contemporary Japanese Photography, 1994
Lane, Richard, Images for the Floating World: The Japanese Print, 1978
Winther-Tamaki, Bert, Art in the Encounter of Nations: Japanese and American Artists
in the Early Postwar Years, 2001
Websites
www.wmgallery.com
www.artnet.com
www.headlightjournal.com
www.hill-gallery.com
www.countrystudies.us/japan
www.artgallery.sbc.edu
www.artnewspaper.com
www.artspan.com