The end of history? Or the beginning of the future?
The Evolution of Visual Arts in Tokyo
By your mouth alone will you get to Kiev--
The Questions I Asked,
The Answers I Received
The Evolution of Visual Arts in Tokyo
Definition Questions:
1. What is Traditional Japanese Art?
The definition, I believe that we settled on in class of Traditional Japanese
culture was that it had to have been in Japan in the Edo Period or before.
I have researched in several sources including Art Books, the Internet,
Encyclopedias etc. for examples. The art forms I am writing as examples
of Traditional Japanese art are Laquerware and various ceramics.
Lacquer
I have found specific information on one type of lacquer ware called "Wajima-Nuri"
which is renowned for it's durability. This form of Laquerware originated
in Wajima city in Ishikawa ken around the 1300s, and was first mainly used
for religious ceremonies. However, near the dawn of the Edo period, lacquer
ware began to be used for more mundane household purposes. Throughout the
1700s and early 1800s, lacquer ware began to be sold throughout Japan by
merchants and soon flourished. Nowadays, according to this site, "In
addition to the traditional items such as Japanese soup bowls, dishes,
chopsticks, lunch boxes, and trays, there are furniture, interior accessories,
golf clubs, ceiling panels, ...etc. [made of]". The making of this
lacquer is apparently a relatively long process, as it generally takes
2 years to make the wooden base, and 4-6 months to apply hundreds of coats
of lacquer.
According to another source, Japanese Lacquer Art, and other forms of art
were given secondary importance in Japan during industrialization and World
War II. Fortunately, the Japan Arts and Crafts regulation association was
founded in May of 1943 and helped supply artists, including those that
made. Also according to this book, there was a "surge of growth and
development in Japanese Lacquer art" after the war.
Ceramics
One particularly interesting example of Japanese ceramics that I found
on the internet was called Kutani, which originated in Kutani- village,
Yamanaka-machi, Enuma-gun, Ishikawa-Ken. The first form of Kutani, called
Ko- Kutani "progressed under the support of the Daishoji clan in 1655."
Unfortunately, the Ko- Kutani kilns mysteriously disappeared around the
turn of the century. Eighty years later, however, under the Kaga clan,
Kutani was reborn, and the new form, called "Restored Kutani",
exists still today.
Question #2
2. What is modern Japanese Art?
Modern Japanese culture is, as defined in class, is something that originated
in Japan in the Meji period or after. Though my example could be considered
traditional, I am talking specifically about the developments that occurred
after W.W.II. Printing Immediately following world war two, according to
Modern Japanese Prints, by Frances Blakemore, "Scarcity of shelter
and of artistic materials gave the printmaker an edge over other artists.
Some sculptors and painters turned to the more practical art of printmaking.
This medium required only a few feet of working space, and with ingenuity,
a few tools, could be fashioned out of paper and paper and in k obtained.
Wood for blocks could be scrounged. ..." In other words, many artists
turned to printing as a last resort. However, printing grew in popularity,
and soon be came an important internationally- recognized art-form.
Question #3
3. What is Western Art?
Western Art, I believe, was defined in class as art that was produced
by "western" countries, specifically Europe and the Americas.
Two examples of western art that seem to be the most well- known of the
western painting mediums (more or less unique to Europe and the Americas)
are Frescoes and Oil Paints (which I found information for on Compton's
multimedia Encyclopedia) . Frescoes are basically pigment added to wet
plaster. One of the most famous frescoes in the world, I believe, is the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome by Michelangelo. My second example,
oil paints, according to Compton's, are pigments mixed with linseed oil
which were first used by, among others, the Van Eycks.
Broad Questions
1. Is Traditional, Modern, or Western art more prevalent in Tokyo?
I believe that Modern art is more prevalent in Tokyo today- The reason
for this is that 60% of the people I interviewed said that they preferred
Modern Japanese art. Furthermore, as can be seen in the ever-increasing
list of uses of, Traditional Japanese art forms are not becoming extinct-
like the Archaeopteryx of several million years ago, it evolved and became
a modern form of it's original that exists today.
2. Which is it moving towards? Which is it moving away from?
I believe that the current trend in Japanese art is moving towards Modern
Japanese art and away from Traditional art. The reason for this is that,
as I stated above, the traditional art forms are evolving, and their descendants
would not have come into being if they were not, at least at the moment
considered an improvement on their predecessors. Furthermore, modern Japanese
art seems to be receiving at least some influence from the west, as can
be seen in some of the more modern Japanese prints, which vaguely resemble
the styles of some western artists.
3. Is art an important indicator of the changing of the culture?
Yes, I believe that art is an important indicator of cultural change,
as art in general seems to reflect the lives of those that create it.
Measurement Questions
1. What percent of the people interviewed Preferred Traditional Art?
Which preferred Modern? Which preferred Western? Fortunately, it was relatively
easy to perform interviews, as I used the telephone to call Japanese people
that I knew to interview them over the phone. Unfortunately, I was only
able to interview a total of 10 people.
Out of 10 people, 6 preferred Modern, 3 Traditional, and 1 Western.
2. Are Traditional Art Forms diminishing or growing according to an
expert in the field? Unfortunately, this was rather difficult to find,
as most authors on the subject of art do not seem to state their views
on such information. Also unfortunately, these two questions were the only
two measurement questions that I was able to find answers to.
According to the writers of Japanese Lacquer Art, "...the postwar
period ... brought a new surge of growth and development of Japanese lacquer
art..."
Also, Frances Blakemore in Modern Japanese Prints seems to imply that
modern Japanese prints flourished after WW2 in his introduction.
Japaneese Laquer Art, (published jointly by) New York and Tokyo, Japan:
7-6-13 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106, and Tankosha, Kyoto, 1981
http://www.njk.co.jp/kutani/
Blakemore, Frances. Modern Japaneese Prints, New York, New York: John
Weatherhill, Inc. , 1975
"Painting" Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. 1994 edition.
Kosugi, Yuji (and parents). ASIJ student. Phone interview. Tokyo, Japan,
March 15, 1998.
Toyoda, Minoru (and parents). ASIJ student. Phone interview. Tokyo,
Japan, March 15, 1998.
Tsukimoto, Mitsuhiko (and parents). ASIJ student. Personal interview.
Tokyo, Japan, March 16, 1998.
Tamura, Ronald. Father of interviewer. Personal interview. Tokyo, Japan,
March 16, 1998.
What do I think?
In Conclusion...
- It seems that Traditional Japanese Art, though not disappearing, is
definitely becoming "modernized". This can be seen in how traditional
crafts are being turned to modern purposes (like using imari vases as bases
for electric lamps) or styles, as can be seen in one of my previous assignments
("In addition to the traditional items such as Japanese soup bowls,
dishes, chopsticks, lunch boxes, and trays, there are furniture, interior
accessories, golf clubs, ceiling panels, ...etc. [made of lacquer]").
Furthermore, Western Art seems to have less influence than I believed,
in that according to my interview, "Out of 10 people, 6 preferred
Modern, 3 Traditional, and 1 Western.". Modern, however, must not
be confused with Western. Western and Modern Japanese art are traveling
two separate paths- it is only that the technology is similar that makes
the two paths seem to run nearly parallel. First of all, however, one must
realize that there is a Modern and Traditional Western art as there is
a Modern and Traditional Japanese art. Traditional arts of either culture
seem to interact very little with the current cultural flow of other cultures,
while the modern of each is sent to exhibits far and wide. Also, there
is obviously all the difference in the world between a modern print and
a painting by Michelangelo, but not so with a modern print and a Picasso.
Japan is no longer isolated- and in this age of communication and transportation
and mass sowing of information and culture, all cultures are becoming assimilated
with each other. Only the traditional forms of the cultures are vastly
different. However, Traditional becomes modern, as a spring becomes a river,
and the modern, with increasing communication between nations eventually
flow together and become the sea.
- As to why all of this change has occurred in the small period after
the Meji Restoration, the most obvious answer is simple: it wasn't until
the Meji Restoration that Japan actually let in any significant amount
of influence. It is easy to see a boom in cultural development when comparing
a time period when there was no sharing of ideas and culture with other
countries, and a time period when that nation finally embraced the idea
of international interaction (Urban empire to Trade nations). Also, this
can be seen when, after W.W.II, once again they embraced the idea of unity
and commerce between nations, hence the cultural boom that occurred then.
Another obvious reason for this change in Art is equally simple- technological
development; if you can make vases, but not laser light exhibits, you are
not going to be making laser light exhibits but vases instead. Sufficient
technology is a condition for the various art forms. Furthermore, the industrialization
of Japan led to more efficient production of goods necessary for survival-
there was now room to thrive (more than before, for many people, at any
rate). With expendable time, money, and supplies on their hands, people
will start investing in luxuries, like art (or at least more elaborate
[and expensive] art forms).
"The end of history? Or the beginning
of the future?" Main Page
Prepared by Travis Ronald Tamura, from Mr.
Hoover's 8th Grade social studies class on April 13, 1998.