View
8
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
rinpa traditionalist, modern designer
kamisaka sekka
andreas marks
and his world
kamisaka sekka
Opposite: “Ōshukubai” [Noh play]. From All Kinds of Things, vol. 1, 1900
In 1868, under Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), the feudal rule of the Tokugawa shogunate over Japan collapsed and imperial power was reinstated. This brought to a close more than 250 years of relative isolation and opened the country to the West, initiating a rapid modernization and redefinition of Japan itself. Kamisaka Sekka (1866–1942) was born into this vibrant time and became an ardent follower of the decorative Rinpa painting tradition. Leading the revival of Rinpa in the early twentieth century, Sekka is sometimes referred to as the “Last Great Rinpa Artist.” While apt, that title obscures his importance as a progenitor of modern design in Japan. Though deeply rooted in tradition, Sekka was a genius in creating imaginative, innovative designs and cooperating with other artists to apply them to lacquerware, textiles, ceramics, and furniture. In doing so he became an influential transitional figure, pioneering a consciousness of modern Japanese design and production. The term “Rinpa,” built from the syllable rin in Kōrin and the word pa (also ha) for “school,” was coined in the Meiji period (1868–1912), but it describes a style created in the seventeenth century by Kyoto artists Tawaraya Sōtatsu (died c. 1643) and Hon’ami Kōetsu (1558–1637). Some earlier terms for this decorative painting tradition are still in use today, among them “Kōetsu school” (Kōetsuha) and “Sōtatsu Kōrin school” (Sōtatsu-Kōrinha). The original Rinpa artists, Sōtatsu and Kōetsu, combined the decorative tradition of Yamato-e (Japanese-style images originating in the Heian period, 794–1185) with stylistic influences from subsequent periods. The two rendered themes like flowers, trees, animals, landscapes, and classical literary tales in bold compositions and vibrant colors. The subsequent generation of Rinpa artists included brothers Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716), active in the late seventeenth and early
4 KAMISAKA SEKKA
Suminoe Shore and Longevity Dance | Suminoe Ennenmai
All Kinds of Things VOLUME 1
all kinds of things volume 1 5
Willow and Cherry Blossoms | Yanagi sakura
6 KAMISAKA SEKKA
Charcoal Seller | Kuroki uri
7
Fishing Village | Gyoson
thngs from many worlds volume 1
J apan’s Meiji era was a time of dramatic cultural change. Industry, the military, transportation, fashion, architecture, the arts—all aspects
of Meiji society embraced modernization. Kamisaka Sekka (1866–1942) flourished during this vibrant period. Deeply rooted in tradition—he led the revival of Rinpa, a style created in the seventeenth century—Sekka also was a progenitor of modern design in Japan, creating imaginative, innovative imagery. He cooperated with other artisans to apply his designs to ceramics, lacquerware, and textiles, and in doing so, he became an influential transitional figure. In addition to his work as a designer, Sekka produced several suites of prints that were published as multivolume books. In transforming his paintings into woodcuts for reproduction, he revised his style to suit the medium. The resultant dramatic, powerful graphics are imbued with his signature elegant and delicate touch and reflect the artist’s melding of Western and Japanese design influences. The Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in Hanford, California, holds a magnificent collection of Kamisaka Sekka’s works. Chosen for this book are the complete sets of prints from three of his best-known pub-lications: All Kinds of Things (Chigusa), All Kinds of Butterflies (Chō senshu), and Things from Many Worlds (Momoyogusa). More than 160 woodblock prints are collected here, with an introductory essay authored by Andreas Marks, director and chief curator at the Clark Center. Kamisaka Sekka: Rinpa Traditionalist, Modern Designer secures this seminal artist’s legacy as one of the most important designers of the early twentieth century.
above: Detail from All Kinds of Butterflies, vol. 2, 1904
cover: Plum Tree (Ume). From Things from Many Worlds, vol. 2, 1909
192 pages, 10 x 8 inchesSmyth-sewn casebound, with jacket175 full-color reproductions Includes Bibliography
$39.95 US ($43.95 Canada)ISBN 978-0-7649-6175-5Catalog No. A206 E Available March 2012
Text © 2012 Andreas MarksImages © 2012 The Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture
Published by Pomegranate Communications, Inc.Box 808022, Petaluma, CA 94975800 227 1428 • www.pomegranate.com
Pomegranate Europe Ltd.Unit 1, Heathcote Business Centre, Hurlbutt RoadWarwick, Warwickshire CV34 6TD, UK[+44] 0 1926 430111 • sales@pomeurope.co.uk
Printed in the USA
rinpa traditionalist, modern designer
kamisaka sekka
Recommended