10/10:

Japonisme

In the 1850's-60's the western movement Japonisme had surfaced in Europe because of the fact the Japanese had started to trade with the west again and as a result of them trading an influx of types of objects, techniques, wood blocks, wood block prints, porcelain dolls etc. Japonesque artists used wood blocks in their paintings. In 1862 the World Fair hosted in Europe brought even more attention to Japanese Art. In the 1860's Japanese wood block prints became very popular and were a source of inspiration to many impressionist and post-impressionist artists in the west such as Monet, Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin. Western artists were fascinated by the Japaneses decorative arts because it offered a new freedom from imitative or photographic representation, and introduced new angles of vision and an entirely different treatment of perspective.  The aesthetics and characteristics that are noticeable in Japanese art are elongated pictorial formats, asymmetrical compositions, aerial perspective, spaces emptied of all but abstract elements of colour and line, a focus on singularly decorative motifs, cropped close-up partial views of objects in the foreground and the use of bold, unshaded colour. Quite a few well known western painters in that time show characteristics of Japanese art in their paintings such as Van Gogh, Toulouse Lautrec etc. 

Thou Art History: Japonisme. 2013.  [ONLINE] Available at: http://thouarthistory.blogspot.com/2009/03/japonisme.html. [Accessed 21 May 2013].

 British Museum - Japonisme . 2013. British Museum - Japonisme . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/articles/j/japonisme.aspx. [Accessed 21 May 2013].

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How Japanese Art and Western Art influenced each other.

In 1865 the Japanese finally ended their 200 year isolation from the world and had re-established  diplomatic and trading relations with the western world. Japan was being influenced by the west in terms of clothing, art, science and adopted some of these themes and adapted them to their own culture. Many people flocked to the port of Nagasaki where western books and prints were being sold and new interesting techniques such as scientific perspective and chiaroscuro shading were introduced to the Japanese people. Unfortunately the Japanese had rushed too far to change their traditional ways and integrate the western cultures ways which put Japan in a state of crisis. In art there was a divide between artists because some wanted to keep the traditional values Japanese art and not convert or adopt western art while the other half adopted western materials and techniques on their paintings. 

While in the west appreciation for the Japanese's graphic art and objects had in-fluxed and could be bought from shops in Paris and everywhere during that time because of the increasing popularity of wood block prints and Japanese objects. The west was fascinated by the Japanese Wood block prints and the flatness and different linear perspective of their prints compared to the west's typical realistic style. The influence of Japanese art had created a Westernised movement of Japanese called Japonisme. 

Japan and the West: Artistic Cross-Fertilization - The Floating World of Ukiyo-e (Library of Congress). 2013.  [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/ukiyo-e/japan.html. [Accessed 21 May 2013].

The Meiji Crisis in Japanese Art - NYTimes.com. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/arts/28iht-conway28.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. [Accessed 21 May 2013].

8/10:

Japanese Calligoraphy

Japanese Calligoraphy also called Shadou, it was originally introduced by the Chinese somewhere around the 6th century when the Buddhist missionaries were coming to Japan to preach about Buddhism. In the Heian Period the Japanese had taken a good grip on the new art form of Calligraphy and developed it into something more. At the time of the Heian period the three well known Japanese calligraphers were the Buddhist monk Kuukai, The emperor Saga and the courier Tachibana no Hayanari who were known as ''The three great brushes'' they created calligraphy that was comparable to the Chinese master Yan Zhenqing. In the 10-11th centuries the group known as the ''The three great brushes'' were succeeded by yet another group who were called ''The three chases'' the groups members were Ono no Tofu’s style started the Shouren School that later produced the Oie style of writing that was dominant during the Edo period., Fujiwara no Sukemasa and  Fujiwara no Yukinari. This trio developed a unique way of Japanese Calligraphy which was called Wayou. Ono no Tofu had created a school called the Shouren School which had later developed the style of writing and calligraphy during the Endo Period. Japanese Calligraphy has influenced western art and artists because of its free flowing lines and brush strokes and was very different to the typical typography of the western world. There are three types of basic Japanese Calligraphy which are kaisho, Gyousho and Sousho. 

 

Japanese calligraphy: The history and forms of Japanese calligraphy. 2013.  [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.japanese-name-translation.com/site/about_japanese_calligraphy.html. [Accessed 21 May 2013].

Japanese Calligraphy History. 2013. Japanese Calligraphy History. [ONLINE] Available at: http://japanese.about.com/od/calligraphy/a/120497.htm. [Accessed 21 May 2013].

7/10:

Kimonos

In the 700's the Japanese had garments such as one piece garments or seperate garments such as skirts or trousers. This type of clothing came from the influence of the Chinese Monks that came to Japan to preach about Buddhism. It wasn't until the Heian period a new kind of kimono making technique had been adapted and developed, it was called the straight line cut method which was cutting pieces of fabric in straight lines and sewing them together, this technique had made making kimonos very simple since the creator did not have to really worry about the wearer's shape and measurements. This method also allowed people in winter to wear extra garments under their kimonos to keep them warmer, for the summer kimono's wear made out of linen which was very breathable and easy to move around in for the Japanese people making the kimono's  an everyday item that could be worn casually and for special events.  Kimono's were also developed into attire for people and judges in the justice system and the courts. In the Kamakura and Muromachi periods technology and society was developing making more colours available for Kimonos. When military clans had ruled over Japan men's kimonos were made to signify who they sided with and what army they were with. There were also special occasion kimonos which had special embellishments and were very colourful while for casual day the Japanese had worn Kimono's that were made to be lightweight and easy to wear for the ease of doing daily activities and errands. In the Edo period Japan had been divided into feudal states and Soldiers wore special kimonos which branded which state they were from and which lord they had served. In this period Kimono's had become s more complicated with more adjustments that had be added and the kimono had been split into 3 pieces such as the main part which is the robe, a sleeveless garment worn over it called kamishimo and a pair of split skirt trousers that was called hakama. Kimonos had started to become a cultural and  valuable thing and was being passed down to each generation as family heirlooms. By the 1800's the Japanese had started to trade with the westerners and had become influenced by them and wore suites and dresses. The kimonos were saved for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, festivals, funerals etc and was no longer worn as a casual everyday piece of garment. 

Japanese Kimono History | USA Today. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/japanese-kimono-history-13616.html. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

History of Kimonos - Kimono - Virtual Culture - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan. 2013.  [ONLINE] Available at: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/kimono/kimono01.html. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

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Wood Block Prints (Ukiyo-e)

Woodblock printing dates back to 770 CE. In the Heian period Woodblock printing was used for Buddhism   such as religious prints and texts. These prints were very simple at first because the Japanese had only used one colour to print. Later on they started to develop and experiment with colours and create complicated and visually beautiful prints using a variety of colours and techniques and tried to perfect the art of woodblock printing. A school named ukiyo-e which was an art school that had been created in around the late 16th century, this school had adopted Wood block printing as an artistic form and for their wood block prints they had done basic themes which were based on everyday life but with a twist making their prints look like they were a ''fleeting floating world''.  This ideology was based on the Buddist religion which its ideology is that life is ''fleeting and impermanent''. Woodblock artists and printing had become famous when an artist named Hishikawa Moronobu had been recognised for his master pieces of wood block printing.  In the Momoyama Era the subject depictions for woodblock printing had changed significantly into erotica such as whores and sluts of the pleasure district and famous kabuki actors. During this time prints were being made into several copies for the purpose of art and advertisements to the middle classes at the time the merchants and the artisans that were in the areas of the theaters and please districts.  

In the 19th century Japan had started to trade with the western world during that time woodblock prints were starting to become less popular in Japan. In the 20th century Japanese artists started to be influenced by a style called creative print (sosaku-hanga) were art could be more emotional and the artist could express themselves more and the theme of the painting could be more generalised.  Wood block printing though had still been used in newspapers in terms to paint a picture of a situation for example a war etc.  

The History of Ukiyo-e and Woodblock Printing in Japan. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.stolaf.edu/people/kucera/YoshidaWebsite/evolution/essay_pages/jason_bossen.htm. [Accessed 20 May 2013]. 

Woodblock Prints in the Ukiyo-e Style | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ukiy/hd_ukiy.htm. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

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Japanese Sculptures

Japanese Sculptors through out the centuries have used an extensive media and techniques to create their sculptures, Such media they used are clay, bronze, stone, dry lacquer and wood. The Japanese were known for their sculpting capabilities and precision throughout the western world. The first pieces of Japanese sculpture date back to the Jomon Period in which they made little figurines (for religious use) and pottery for everyday essentials such as jugs for drinking water which were made out of clay. Through the centuries the Japanese had continued using clay as the body for their sculptures but 1700 years ago a new technique of sculpting had been developed which was called Haniwa. Haniwa were usually sculptures that had the form of animals, humans and houses. These type of sculptures were usually put in burial chambers of Emperors and officials.  

When Buddhism was introduced into Japan by the Chinese during the 6th century sculptures had changed and the Japanese started to use a wider variety of media such as wood, bronze and gold. Stone was not used as a sculpting material during this period or any other periods because of the lack of stone used in the Japanese's history. In 1180 civil war had broke out between two Japanese military clans which were named the Taira and the Minamoto. The Minamoto clan had won the civil war and in order to appease their new government Japanese artists had taken a more detailed realistic approach to their work. One prominent figure during the time was the sculptor Unkei who had created incredible realistic sculpture pieces. He also had created a sculpting school which was called the Kei school. 

The Art of Japan: sculpture: history. 2013.  [ONLINE] Available at: http://library.thinkquest.org/27458/nf/sculpture/history.html. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

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Japanese Pottery

The first type of Japanese Pottery/Ceramics dates back to 12,000 years ago with Jomon Earthenware. Most pieces from this time were meant for storage and for functional uses such as jugs, teapots, pans and vases. They also made figurines and relics for religious use in ceremonials etc. Their pottery was made by rolling it on straw rope to produce patterns on the clay vessel/body to create different effects. The clay vessels were then baked in fires that were built outside with quite low temperatures which caused the end result to be thick but very brittle and easy to break and shatter. After quite some time pottery had evolved due to the Korean Peninsula bringing over a new method to the Jomon culture and a change had developed in their pottery and also their culture, their pottery had become more simple and effective for functionality compared to what it was before this was called Yayoi Ware. After Yayoi ware there was Sue-ware which was again introduced by the Korean Peninsula which pottery was made with a potters wheel and fired in a kiln at high temperatures. Many types of different functional things were made from this type of clay such as jars, pottery, alcoholic beverages were stored in pots. In around the 7th Century AD a new technique was again introduced from the Korean Peninsula. This technique was combining glaze with molten lead, this caused the lead to turn green because of certain ingredients and reactions happening when it was covered in glaze so it could change colours and create a beautiful effect on the piece at the end. When entering the Nara Era colours of glazes had become more varied such as yellow-brown and even white glaze. They even managed to develop a glaze that could give a bright glossy finish to pottery and utensils. In the Heian Era kilns had been developed to become more suitable for firing and creating better ceramics pieces. In the Muromachi period characteristics started to show on bowls that were being glazed, within the kiln they would put wood ashes that would attach to the pottery when it was heated at high temperatures and create a wonderful effect.

 

Another turning point for the sales and demand for Japanese Pottery was when the tea ceremony was developed during the Momoyama Era, the Tea Ceremony was created so the Japanese could relax and enjoy the company of others and for them to unwind. Tea cups were made especially for this ceremony which became part of the Japanese Heritage which increased demand for pottery. After some time the Japanese had developed another technique to decorate the boring tea cups and pottery with what is called glazed decoration. Glaze decoration was painting the clay piece with flowers and decorations after it was fired the first time. This creation opened new doors to making exquisite and unique pottery pieces because of the many more types of glazes and the fact that glaze decoration was created. Also another development and introduction with weird shaped  crooked utensils for the tea ceremony. In the Edo period porcelain was born because of the increased amount of potters travelling from the Korean Peninsula the first attempts of porcelain were successful. New developments were happening during the Edo period such as adding pictures to pottery, more colours and discovering new effects. In the Meiji Era porcelain dolls were starting to take form and shape, pottery goods were also in high demand and were becoming very popular as things to decorate peoples homes etc.

 







History | Explore Japanese Ceramics. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.explorejapaneseceramics.com/basic/general/history.html. [Accessed 20 May 2013].

History of Oriental Ceramics｜The Museum of Oriental Ceramics,Osaka. 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.moco.or.jp/en/intro/history_j.html. [Accessed 20 May 2013].