As I thought back on all of the material we covered in this course I knew there were certain images that stood out with a great deal of significance. Photography is one of my favorite hobbies, and I so clearly recall my fascination with this image due to its important subject matter and the rawness of its character.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 'cosmetics' component of this course as advertisements conveying beauty products are considered to be majorly impactful on present day society in regard to setting beauty standards. This image in particular came to mind as I thought about the discuss we had in class today concerning the social status associated with lavish Victorian era gowns, such as the one shown here.
One of the pieces I felt compelled to include was Murakami's trademark Jellyfish eyes wallpaper. I think the logic behind this illogical piece conveys a sense of youthful bliss that is so lacking in today's society, where the fictional is considered to be irrational. Murakami combines elements of extreme fantasy with startling depicting of grotesque subject matters and produces art works that leave the viewer in awe of their complexity, a truly admirable quality in an artist. While I am not a fan of modern art, I found his pieces to be rather interesting and well thought out.
I shall never be able to forget the image of the various runway models bouncing up and down in order to illicit motion from their wearable works of art. These truly unique pieces of fashionable sculpture introduced me to a form of fashion I had never truly considered before, pieces not meant to be worn but instead to be seen. The simplicity provokes the audience to accept the obscure and embrace the unusual. Definitely a memorial visual.
I definitely wanted to include one of the pieces we were able to observe at the art museum during our field trip, and I clearly remember zeroing in on this piece. Mostly, I was curious about the inclusion of what appears to be a leopard in a piece entitled "Tigers in a Bamboo Grove". The attention to detail is the most striking quality attributed to this set of doors and the minimalist style presents the viewer with an opportunity to pay special attention to the three figures within the piece and their representation of exotic stillness.
The three themes I chose to discuss are as follows:
1. SuperFlat as conveyed through the works of Aya Takano and Takashi Murakami.
Before taking this course I doubt I would have given a second glance to pieces representational of SuperFlat. This idea of creating something singular and encouraging it with various artistic elements to become two or three-dimensional is truly an fascinating concept. The purpose of SuperFlat would also appear to be the presentation of a seemingly innocent scene, with added in details that allow it to become multiple dimensional on levels of emotional provocation. Clashing elements are brought together in order to produce a truly provocative image, whether it be through exaggerated nudity, grotesque depictions, or distortion artists who command this style are able to twist the boundaries of the ordinary.
2. The artistic works and expressions created in response to the Fukushima disaster.
Regardless of the amount of times I have been exposed to the images left in the wake of natural and man-made disasters I have yet to become desensitized. Each time I lay my eyes on a photograph of destruction I feel an uneasy sense of invasion, as though I am not qualified to be viewing the scenes before me. When we discuss the concept of gaze and the logic behind our every persistent human quality of curiosity that has lead us time and time again to seek out imagery of an unpleasant nature I felt I was finally able to interpret my uneasiness.
3. Woodblock Prints, such as those viewed within the Yokohama Boomtown unit.
My favorite unit from this course had to be the woodblock prints. After viewing the YouTube video wherein I observed a woodcarver delicately inscribing a woodblock with intricate details I found that I had gained a new sense of appreciation for art of this form. The time and attention to detail is overwhelming. In many ways it can be likened to that of meditation, quiet contemplation, and an unbelievable awareness of oneself and ones movements as each miniature knife stroke contributes to the overall munificences of a piece. Rather inspirational when you really think about it.
