Non-Western Blog 11/29/2021
Non-Western Blog
Theme: Japanese Art
I chose to focus my exhibit on the beautiful cherry blossom
trees, or Sakura, in Japanese and how they are brought into tradition in
Japanese culture. Cherry blossoms symbolize life and death, a sense of renewal.
Cherry blossom festivals are held each year to commemorate the start of spring
and the end of winter, hence the theme of beginnings and ends. I have chosen
three portraits that represent the blooming of the cherry blossoms, and though
they occur at different time periods, they exhibit the cultural practices of
the Japanese during this time.
1) 1) Avenue of Cherry Trees, 1935
The Avenue of Cherry Trees was painted in 1935 by
Hiroshi Yoshida. This woodblock print showcases a local Japanese village surrounded
by an abundance of cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms in Japan blossom every
spring, from the end of March to early April. Yoshida utilizes a pale, pastel
color palette as well as a linear perspective. They also use contrasting colors
in the details of the local shops and vendors. I have always been quite
captivated by Japanese art because of its historical and cultural presence (hence,
the women wearing kimonos and the man selling festival lanterns). Lantern
festivals are held to diminish any evil presence and to create a spiritual path
for spirits. I have always wanted to travel to Japan and experience the culture
and lifestyle. I hope one day to walk through a local village and see and smell
the cherry blossoms.
1) 2) Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō,
1830-32
Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō was
painted around 1830-32 during the Tenpo era in Japan. This piece was painted by
the famous Japanese artist, Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai is known for his
landscape artworks featuring aspects of Japanese geography and culture such as
mountain ranges, waterways, and local citizens. Hokusai has been noted to inspire
artist, Vincent Van Gogh, and his art style. This artwork features a cherry
blossom viewing party, otherwise known as hanami in Japanese. There
are women performing a dance with traditional fans in front of a tea house. Mt.
Fuji is also featured in the background as this piece is part of Hokusai’s art
series, “36 Views of Mount Fuji”. Hokusai uses primarily blues and greens to
color this painting, with some shades of yellow and orange. As for most of his
works, he tends to utilize the space generously, covering most of the canvas
with length and detail. One of the main features of Hokusai’s work is the 2D aspect;
typically, only the front of bodies and landmarks are shown. Throughout my life, I have seen Hokusai’s art everywhere, whether it was on social media or Google.
His work has become famous for its minimal aesthetic and beauty and is truly
captivating.
1) 3) Evening Cherry Blossoms at Gotenyama, 1831
Like the previous showcased piece, the Evening Cherry
Blossoms at Gotenyama was painted by artist, Utagawa Hiroshige. This work
features art elements such as the pale and delicate colors and repetition of certain
details (the cherry blossom trees look quite similar as do the sailboats).
Hiroshige also uses balance in distributing the details equally. I was captivated by this piece because of its pastel shades and minimalistic looks. Even though this work is quite simple, I admire how it is able to tell the story and showcases Japanese culture beautifully.
"Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō." The Met Museum, swanprints.com/hiroshi-yoshida/artwork/avenue-of-cherry-trees.
"Katsushika Hokusai | Fuji from Gotenyama at Shinagawa on the Tōkaidō (Tōkaidō Shinagawa Gotenyama No Fuji), from the Series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku Sanjūrokkei) | Japan | Edo Period (1615–1868) | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/56135.
"Trace the Evolution of the Cherry Blossom Through Art and Design." Galerie, 11 June 2020, galeriemagazine.com/cherry-blossom-evolution-art-history/.
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