Ukiyo-e in Mejiro - 13/11/08
Working for Tokyo Notice Board I get to write about upcoming events, and I often get the urge to go to the events I promote. The first of which I tried was a Ukiyo-e demonstration today in Mejiro, Tokyo. I'd learned a little bit about Ukiyo-e at University, but I didn't have any real knowledge of the subject until today. As I often say in my blogs 'it was a very rare experience' ... but it's true! A public demonstration from a trained master doesn't usually happen ... this time the Adachi Ukiyo-e foundation decided to make a special event for foreigners to see this traditional art form first hand.
There was a limit of 30 people, but since I knew about this event early I was able to reserve a place for me & Kozue. There was a really mixed, international crowd attending ... with a lot of French people for some reason. The print master Mr. Nakata had his equipment set up on a small stage, and the Institute's Curator gave us a talk with information about the process ... answering any questions we had.
For anyone that doesn't know ... the most famous, classic images of traditional Japan come from the Ukiyo-e art of Japan's Edo Period. Visually, they look like paintings (as the originals were) but the artform is rooted in reproduction. Images were made, to be printed and reproduced in large numbers ... making the idea of an 'original' piece a somewhat vague idea.
I was most curious to see how such detailed images could be created using only paint and print blocks. Today's demonstration was of the most famous Ukiyo-e picture The Great Wave Off Kanagawa (originally by Hokusai).
Hokusai's 'South Wind, Clear Sky' (Top Right) is also very famous ... but I'd never seen 'Rainstorm Beneath the Summit' before (Top Left) which is equally as impressive. I'd like to get behind the scenes of some more traditional or modern Japanese art some time soon ... let's see if I can make it happen.
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