What is "Contemporary Art"? Yoshitomo Nara
What comes to mind when you think “contemporary art”? I find it interesting that Picasso and Abstract Expressionism are still considered, by some, to be “contemporary” in ...
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Curator's Corner
A Great Tradition Endures: Shoko Koike
As I’ve written before, ceramic arts in Japan are among the oldest on Earth, dating back to the Jomon Culture (dates to ca. 11000 BCE, flourished ca. 3000 – 200 BCE). The reason I bring up ...
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Curator's Corner
Mask for Theater: Deme Mitsunori
There are so many aspects of Japanese culture that I find absolutely fascinating; I could keep writing this blog for years! As with many countries around the world and throughout history, art is an in ...
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Curator's Corner
Aizuri-e = Wonderful: Kunisada
Aizuri-e means blue printed picture. Traditionally, the blue was derived from the dayflower. However, via the Dutch in Osaka, Prussian blue was imported from Europe as early as the 1790s. It did ...
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Curator's Corner
Mezzotints of Hamaguchi Yozo
I’ve tried lithography, woodcut, linoleum cut, and etching (on a plastic plate, yuck!), but have never succeeded as a printmaker. I would gladly do color lithography if I could have a press in m ...
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Curator's Corner
Yakimono: Sugiura Yasuyoshi
Yakimono in Japanese refers to a “fired thing.” A reverence for nature has historically been part of Japanese art since ancient times. Interestingly, the evocation of the respect for natur ...
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Curator's Corner
Today = Tradition: Michikawa Shōzō
I’m able to trace my mother’s side of the family back to the Middle Ages in Switzerland, hence (love using that word whenever I can), I’m totally appreciative of tradition. As you kn ...
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Curator's Corner
Kacho-e: Ohara Koson
Today’s post is about my epiphany of the week. In a previous post I introduced you to the early 1900s phenomenon in Japanese woodblock prints called sosaku hanga. That was the continuation of th ...
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Curator's Corner
Three Friends of Winter: Yabu Chōsui
I’m celebrating the beginning of winter by showing you an image that goes along with the "Looking and Learning" theme for December in our SchoolArts magazine: Stories. I don’t re ...
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Curator's Corner
Venerable Painting School: Kano School
In the 21st century, when millionaires get tax breaks and people are judged by the type of car they drive, it’s nice to be able to retreat and look at art with a simpler outlook on human existen ...
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