Ukiyo

Japanese Edo Period Art The Edo period had a lot of importance & impact on Japan as it helped flourish its culture by cutting off the west and isolating itself, with the help of many Schools of Japan learning new techniques in art which would become the norm for today. A lot of the impact was on the social classes, as artists started to become noticed, and recognised for the art they created. The points to discuss will be on ‘who’ to talk about. First, I’ll look at Hoitsu & Buncho from Edo as…

The children were considered as property of the brothel owner because of the enormous debt to the pleasure houses. The outlay regarding the practice of buying them from their parents had already incurred an enormous debt for them before they even arrived. The fine food and kimono provided by the brothel were also included as parts of the burdensome debt. By the time they were old enough to start their profession, they have no choice but to work day and night to pay off the mounting debt for the…

This document will describe two minority cultural populations living within Washington State, Japanese and Hispanic or Latino, embracing three conventional characteristics, family, arts, and holidays; in addition to similarities and differences, finally, application in the classroom. Japanese Japanese culture is abundant and diverse, dating back to 10,000BC when the Jomon immigrate originally colonized in Japan; it is universally recognized for its traditional arts in addition to its…

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) has taken victim of a multitude of lives in the United States during the 20th century. Many believed that this epidemic was a sign of judgement in relation to the religions they worship. Others viewed this stigma as a curse and that revealing themselves would shame themselves for the rest of their lives. Masami Teraoka is a Japanese-born American artist who began to focus his works on the AIDS epidemic after a close friend’s baby contracted HIV. His…

Yoshitomo Nara is a Japanese artist who is well known for the girl character who is bulbous-headed with large eyes and cynical grins. As a contemporary of Takashi Murakami within Japan's Neo-pop movement, Nara is influenced by elements of popular culture from both East and West. Nara creates drawing, painting, and sculpture that express intense emotions while his practices explores themes of isolation rebellion and music. In this essay, I would like to explore both internal and external factors…

“The Gift of the Sea” is an oil painting made by Aoki Shigeru in 1904. The painting depicts a scene of nude fishermen walking along a shoreline with their captured haul saddled onto their shoulders. The composition of the work pushes the viewer’s vision to the left side as all figures face and walk towards that direction. This push to the left is also emphasized through the spears of the fishermen, which look like arrows directly informing the viewer to follow its trajectory. Aoki Shigeru…

In 1886, Dutch artist, Vincent van Gogh moved to Paris, France and was inspired by Japanese artist and other Impressionists whom were also studying Japanese art work. He admired the elegance, bold colors, and striking designs that characterized ukiyo-e prints. van Gogh adopted Japanese influence into his work (known as Japonisme) and it is evident in his most famous work, Starry Night. (http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/508/Starry-Night.html) Vincent van Gogh painted Starry Night,…

By championing modernity, Tanizaki’s Joji also facetiously contradicts the heroic subject invented by modernity. The conventional narrative wherein the protagonist rejects the modern world he was born into in favour of an identification with the past is transposed by Tanizaki who portrays Joji choosing to engage with the spaces of modernisation, by frequenting the cafes, dance halls and department stores with Naomi. In doing so, Tanizaki has created an embodiment of the restless youth of Japan,…

The carp could act as however it is being portrayed as or it could mean something important to what it is being associated with. Many mythical symbols have a beginning, such as the carp. There are stories about the origin of the carp, but those are not one-hundred percent true. “The real origin of those coloured creatures was in truth, more of an accident than by any real intentions and they are truly ‘man made’” (“Origins and Myths” 1). The carp was discovered unexpectedly instead of having a…

From the amazing gold screens, to paintings the Japanese styles flourished inspirationally. Out of all the styles, I was more interested in the Ukiyo-e prints, which were very new to me and can be described as the ”world or pleasure” or the “floating world”. Although, these were short lasting, these artworks reflect the growing power of the merchant and middle class. This interested me because for…