MetaFilter posts tagged with edo

Painting From History

netbros — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:45:18 -0800

Tomokazu Matsuyama was born in Japan. He moved to the US when he was around ten years old, not speaking any English, and being overwhelmed by the culture shock of 1980s Los Angeles. His artistic work is a reflection of this upbringing. Matsuyama’s paintings envision traditional Japanese imagery through the lens of American pop art, creating a unique and beautiful hybrid. He strives to portray this global melee through a conscious “appropriation” of all of his influences: cultural, artistic, and personal. Matsuyama’s unconflicted and positively ebullient works do not ask, “What am I?,” but assert, “I am everybody.” (via) Matsu's work is a more conscious and introspective response to the tensions of bi-cultural experience. An upbringing split between Japan and America spurred the questions of national and individual identity that figure prominently in the style and subject matter of his paintings — attempting to parse the “natural chaos” of our social environment, Matsuyama pushes viewers to confront their conceptions of cultural homogeneity, which seems to contradict notions of Japaneseness. Discerningly appropriating influences from modern art and Japanese art from the Edo and Meiji eras, Matsuyama’s paintings are an aesthetically exciting and culturally fascinating facet, which portrays the lifestyle of this time.

Don't try this at home.

flapjax at midnite — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:47:09 -0800

OK, I got yer muhfuggin Single Link You Tube post right here. That's right. Now you tell me that's not amazing. Alright, so I lied. It's NOT a SLYT post. So sue me. But you probably made it here to the [more inside] cause you agree that that was some AMAZING dancing, right? I mean, that was some tippity-top amazing stuff, no? And you wanna see more, right? OKAY! Check the first coupla guys in this clip: I find their nonchalant manner most appealing. Toward the middle, though, we get back into some of that high-speed, jaw-dropping stuff like we saw earlier in the FPP. Wow! And in this clip we get to see the drummers, too, which is of course a plus. And, one more for the road. This one's a little different. Fellow comes home from a typical day in the jungle hunting bush meat, but there's something just a little strange... he's got that white feather on his head, and some kind of juju's got ahold of him! Then his wife gets the feather, and she gets it, too! They're gonna need a priestess doing one of the sacred Edo songs, for sure! And there she is! Everything's gonna be fine.

Edo period creepy crawlies

p3t3 — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:11:01 -0800

Japan's National Diet Library Gallery has been mentioned here before, but the Pink Tentacle blog came across some fantastic late Edo period illustrations in the NDL Gallery by Kurimoto Tanshu (栗本丹洲, 1756 - 1834). Apparently he was a doctor, but he seems to be better known for his hundreds of biological illustrations. Many are of sea creatures, but there are also quite a few other plants and animals. ranging from realistic renditions to bizarre creatures. A huge and varied collection, but all are equally fascinating.

Netsuke

nthdegx — Sat, 17 Apr 2004 06:22:59 -0800

Netsuke: ornate artifacts of the Edo period. Via neonepiphany.

Joey Michaels — Sat, 24 Aug 2002 21:35:29 -0800

The Virtual Tour of Edo allows you explore the city that would one day become Tokyo, Japan. Classical images illustrate short descriptions of life in this 18th century metropolis. Although modern Tokyo may look very "Western" on the surface, in its heart the spirit of Edo still lives on!

J. R. Hughto — Wed, 31 Jul 2002 11:03:01 -0800

Look no further than John Fiorillo's Viewing of Japanese Prints for the definitive online resource on the art. Covering over three centuries of Japanese print making from Ukiyo-e through Shin Hanga and Sôsaku Hanga, Viewing has detailed histories and critiques of the artists, including such legendary masters as Katsushika Hokusai. The site also includes a wealth of information on the artform itself, with essays on topics as varied as the deciphering of prints and the various forms of poetry found on them, as well as archival notes on print fading. Have a question for the man himself? Shogun Gallery's discussion board is one of his favorite haunts, where he helps users with questions ranging from signature identification to the allusions found within a specific print. Given the wealth of information and beauty of the work, this site's a treasure.