Assignment #7 - Woodblock Prints

 Artist: Toyokuni
Title: Actor Onoe Matsusuke II (1784-1849)
After watching the youtube video last night in preparation for today's class, I felt a sense of appreciation for the time devoted to making precise, almost microscopic etchings into a wooden block in order to produce such a beautiful work. With that appreciation in mind, I was drawn to this piece due to the curved, flowing layering of the actor's kimono, and the detail inscribed in in facial expression and face framing hairs that appear to have been carved one by one with a great deal of dedication to perfection. While the coloration of this piece was not as impressive as some of the others (such as thought with up to six or seven different colors or tones) I found the simplicity of the colorations to be an attractive quality. The overall message being conveyed by this piece was also what brought me to it, as it appears that the actor being depicted is preparing to brawl with a herd of unthreatening mice. I felt that it was a representation of social classes, as the actor is descending of the mice, and preparing to physically reinforce their place beneath him and as unequal beings. Definitely a lot going on in this piece and I truly enjoyed studying it.

Artist: Saito Kiyoshi
Title: Egypt
From the moment we walked into the room I could not stop fixating on this piece. Perhaps it was the curiosity this androgynous image provoked, or the sharp contrast between pale and deep staining. Regardless, I felt compelled to investigate this image as it appeared to be so blatantly different from those surrounding it.  The factor that intrigued me the most was the gender of the individual being portrayed, especially from a Japanese gaze, and the subject boasts a hourglass figure, complimented by long tresses, yet appears to be sporting facial hair in the form of a beard. In comparison to the earlier works we were exposed to, this piece appears to be less challenging with regard to its physical sculpting, but it captures the attention of the viewer with little effort.

Pagoda (Reading, PA)

Guess where I was this weekend? 

Assignment #6 "Photo Album"

People:  

Playing Music
Three youthful Japanese girls perfect their talents using primitive musical instruments. These women appear to be of higher social standing, and therefore are afforded the right to learn to operate musical instruments as a means of entertaining guests and family.

People: 
Three Japanese women of higher social standing, adored in kimono,  admire displays of chrysanthemums at a festive flower show. While their arrangement and overall presentation is meek, and certainly unimpressive as compared to the floral presentations of the Glasshouses of Europe, their vain attempt at asserting their social significance is admirable.

 Places: 
Miyajima 
In the foreground a shinto gate, known to locals as a Torii,  suggests that Miyajima is a sacred place. The glimmering water outlines the aging Japanese architecture that the area is famous for.

 People:
A Japanese Baby
An infant at play, shown with her only plaything, yet still projecting a sense of youthful pleasure. Her uniquely oriental  features are highlighted from birth, and her porcelain skin stands as an eternal sign of beauty and youth. While her social status is unknown, it can be inferred from the surrounding of her environment that she resides from a higher social class, but yet they lack the enrichment of our children, as they are not overwhelmed with the spoils of our stature.

Places: 

Ukimido at Lake Biwa 

Known to be not only Japan's largest freshwater lake, but also the world's third most ancient, Lake Biwa hosts beautiful scenic views of the simplicity of the traditional Japanese lifestyle.  Location of the well-known Floating Temple, Magetsu-ji Zen, Lake Biwa is a popular travel spot for foreign travelers. 

Assignment #5

Places:

NIKKO: Nikko Road 

The description of this image explains that the road leading up to Nikko, Japan is lined with enormous, and elderly, cryptomerias. The tree tops are just barely touching overhead, creating a sense to foreigners that they are entering secured ground, much like that of the Gothic cathedrals back home. This road was established nearly two centuries before this image was captured, and as a modern viewer, it feels as though the image is not a representation of ages of decay, but instead a depiction of modernization and the established relationship between man and nature. The manificance of this organic passageway leaves it's travelers awestruck by the beauty of the natural world that surrounds them.

People:

Tokyo Beauty 

Compared to all of the other images within this unit, I found myself pulled in by this simple scene celebrating female beauty. I suppose in some ways I felt the image was almost too modern in appearance, and that I wouldn't be at all surprised to find a image similar to this in one of my fashion magazines. The geisha's pose and facial expression evoke a sense of serenity and strength, while her body language is extremely soft and feminine. The caption for this image was a quote by Gilbert Watson from Three Rolling Stones in Japan (London, 1904) - part of which stated, "We thought of the long hours before the silver looking-glasses necessary to compose these wonderful complexions, to arrange thee fantastic coiffures, to drape these girlish figures...". 

Assignment #4

Places

I chose The Bronze Statue of Dai-Bouts because it was so exotic looking, and I thought if I were one of Felice Beato's early clients and I was hand selecting photographs for a personalized photo album I would have been immediately drawn to this image. The Buddha is a religious icon who represents enlightenment as developed through mediation, therefore a photograph capturing a seated Buddha amidst mediation would certainly be a photo worth having. Also the sheer size of this statue is provacative in nature and would make it a notable collectable for travelers from the west. 

People
Entitled "Sleeping Beauties" this piece seemed so peaceful to me and it was so different from the others that I kept coming back to it. Two Japanese women are shown in an embrace as they sleep side-by-side, their relationship unknown and seemingly unimportant. The peacefully vacant expressions upon this faces suggests to the viewers that they are bonded together. Japanese women would have certainly been a must-have for photograph collectors, as they're exotic appeal would be of interest to other Westerners.

Assignment #3

Title: Picture of People of the Five Nations: A Sunday
Artist: Yoshitora
VC Image Number: Y0141

This scene is described as being an overview a party being hosted within a large mercantile firm. The scene depicts the inter mingling of Japanese courtesans with Americans, and the convergence of these two distinctly different cultures is represented by the various iconic elements within the print, such as the American flag in the upper left corn, the traditional Japanese garments, whose colorations seems to echo that of the American flag (i.e. red, white, and blue). The image's description states that the artists knowledge of Western culture seems to have failed him with respect to musical instruments as the samisen is not be held in the proper position for it to be played. Upon my inspection of the piece I noted the distinctly Western style ships in the harbor, and the curious expressions upon the Japanese figures within the print, noting that the convergence of the two cultures was met with overt curiosity and inquisition. With regard to the readings assigned for this week, I noted that the intended subject matter of this piece appears to be the convergences of two independent cultures and how they intermingles and interact with one another. While this image captures a scene from the Japanese perspective, the intended gaze appears to be from a neutral party, simply observing the happenings of this scene.

Title: New Invention: Picture of the Interior Works of a German Battleship
Artist: Unsen
VC Image Number: Y0072
This image certainly demonstrations the innate curiosity of the Japanese audience, as the artist depicts the inner workings of a German battleship, he describes the various components of the ship in compartmentalized scenes displaying groups of German soldiers preforming assorted duties. Unsen is descriptor as being a specialists with regard to depicting Western ships, and within this portrayal Usen goes above and beyond with regard to detail as many compartments are labeled with captions describing their contents.