Katsushika Hokusai
The Great Wave off the coast of Kanagawa
1830–32, Japan, Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper; 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in. (25.7 x 37.9 cm)
Katsushika Hokusai was a Japanese artist. He was born in 1760 and died in
1849. Hokusai was a painter, drawer, engraver and woodblock printer. He was
influenced by western art and incorporated the western style of landscape and
traditional Japanese methods into his painting and printmaking. Many of his
prints were appreciated by Europeans and European artists were influenced by
him.
Hokusai produced over 30 000 artworks during his 89 years of life. He was
interested in nature and changes in weather. He also included small scenes of
everyday life in his work such as the fishing boats in The Great Wave off the
coast of Kanagawa.
Lin Onus
Michael and I are just slipping down to the pub for a
minute
1992, Australia, Iris Giclee on Arches paper
Lin Onus is an Australian artist born in 1948 and died in 1996. He had a Scottish
mother and Aboriginal father.
This work illustrates Onus’s sense of humour by appropriating the famous work
The Great Wave off the coast of Kanagawa of Hokusai. In this work he has taken
Hokusai artwork and provided it with a new meaning by changing it slightly.
Onus has used traditional aboriginal painting in his painting. He has used the
raark design, which is the cross-hatching on the stingray. He has also used
iconic Australian animals in the form of the dingo and stingray that symbolise
himself and his friend Michael.
Questions
Look at the images Hokusai’s The Great Wave off the coast of Kanagawa and
Lin Onus’s Michael and I are just slipping down to the pub for a minute and read
the information above to help you answer the following questions.
Subjective Frame
What do you feel when you looked at both of the artworks?
What do you think the artworks are about?
Postmodern Frame
Look in a dictionary and write the meaning of appropriation and parody
Appropriation-
Parody-
What has Lin Onus appropriated from Hokusai’s artwork?
What differences are there between the two artworks?
How has the meaning of the big wave changed from Hokusai to Onus’s artwork?
Is there evidence of parody, irony and/or wit in Onus’s artwork Michael and I are
just slipping down to the pub for a minute?