Zen

had a big flowering period during Edo - usually associated with Edo

Zen = Enlightenment

GA = painted image of zen

major ideas:

-meditation - very important and can alter your life

-need a teacher on path but you have to find enlightenment on your own

-that is which unspoken - communicated mind to mind - you don't need textbooks

-cannot cling to anything - even in enlightenment

-you do not break up the world into dichotomies

-communicated via stories and interaction (tell the tales)

-bear: uncle catches robber and offers him robe off his back, robber is scared because he got caught and flees. uncle says he wishes he could have given him the moon (moon represents enlightenment)

- seated meditation, walking meditation

Liang Kai

Sixth Patriacrch Tearing up a Sutra

-made up

-how it came to be

- he was a discpile -  shown tearing up a sutra - because you will not find it hidden in the text - it can come to you at anytime

Bodhidharma (Daruma)

-the major patriarch steming from the historic Daruma

-Indian monk that transmitted ideas into China

-he was traveling to China for an audience with Emperor Woo

Woo didn't understand the answers and became frustrated - Woo "Who are you?" he replied "Not new" then went to a wall and meditated for 9 years.

-represents essence of enlightenment and idea of zen

Hakuin Ekaku (1685 - 1768)

Hakuin:

-major guy in art

-does enso - (circles of enlightenment), parables, fables, folk lore

-illuminate your inner soul

-wanted to clean up Zen

-felt there was false Zen - preachers who didn't understand

-created over 1000 works!

-circles - powerful form in art - eludes to perfection in art 

ENSO - circle of enlightened, represents completness or emptiness, the moon, totally enlightenment or lack of

*many Zen paintings were created on paper - modest material

-he puts himself in Enso to show his enlightment

-MU: "without", a character

Within

Hakuin Edo 1615 - 1868)

-calligraphic painting

-the character is drawn out to the bottom of the scroll - even when it runs out of ink

-not artistic nor creative

-rough, ackward, bold, painted with a bigger brush

-breathing with life in the center

"meditation within activity is better than meditation in silence"

- message: don't be passive

One Hand Clapping

Hakuin

- invented the idea of one hand clapping

-wanted students to break through idea of "ego" and "self"

-koan - 

-uses koan to teach ideas

Hotai - represents eccentric character because of his un-attachment to the world - only carries a bag

Hakuin - does not represent the figure realistically

-hand is most emphasized component

-inscription - loose, not typical calligraphy

"All you clever young people, no matter what you say, if you don't hear the sound of one hand everything else is rubbish"

-can't reach the answer through reasoning

Smiling Frog

Sengai   Edo

ZEN idea - communicates well, simple execution of a complex idea

-"if human can be Buddha through practicing zazen..." then so can frog

-meditating humans look like frogs - passive 

-humor in art and life

Sengai: 1730-1858

-less known and came from poor farm family

-accorded honors but would not except them and he would use prize money to restore temples, etc.

-a lot of humor in his art, frogs and tigers

Daruma

Nantembo Modern 

- communicated forcefully the ideas

-Daruma image - he did many

-page is ripped from the force of the paintbrush slamming down

-represents instant moment of the Zen monk

-"it took my five minutes to paint it - and a lifetime"

-earring and eyes represents Indian monk AND enso

Nantembo:1839 - 1925

-name derives from a staff he used to hit discphiles

Enomoto Kikaku: Melon Skin

..ink on paper

.painted on haiku

.text is incorperated into the image

.haik is hard to translate into english and back to japanese

.learned from Basho (?) delicate and simplified drawings

.humorous

HAIGA - painted haiku

Ogata Korin

1658 - 1716

-member of the RINPA school

-wealthy member of the merchant class - father was a cloth merchant

-Kenzan (his brother) also an artist

       -saved and was wise with his inheritance

-Korin blew through his money so he became an artist to support himself

- too the RINPA style to EDO

.Korin was well known for his large screens

.simple in iconography

.iris – viewer is suppose to see through flowers to literary references

Red and White Plum Blossoms

Ogata Korin

.61” x 68”

.decorative theme

.RINPA screens are very popular

.descriptive, tree trunks have moss

mixes patterns and colors to that blend well from far away

.plum blossoms is an old theme

-represents emergence, springtime, snow is receeded and nature is renewing

plum tree represents regrowth

.in this image is represents regrowth in a tree that is old and mascuiline and off of it comes beautiful blossoms

Edo Period 1615 - 1868

Decorative Arts and Rinpa

.shiny over glass

. high fired ceramics

.more porcelin

Peach motif on Nabeshima Ware

.very exclusive audience

. the kiln was hidden away

.wanted to cater to the elite

Nabeshima wanted only to sell to elite

.sold to TOKOGAWA government, the N. clan and shogun

.very elegant

.textiles

Ogata Korin: Iris Screens

.very famous screen

Korin 1658-1716

.member of the RINPA school

.wealthy member of the merchant class – father was a cloth merchant

.the art implies something without actually saying it – complex themes

.the viewer's eye walks them through the piece

.gold background flattens out the image

.offsets the color in the image

.spacial distribution – parts go back into space visually but the ink sits on the surface

RINPA – decorative patterns

I: Ogata Korin: Red and White Plum Blossoms

.61” x 68”

.decorative theme

.RINPA screens are very popular

.descriptive, tree trunks have moss

mixes patterns and colors to that blend well from far away

.plum blossoms is an old theme

-represents emergence, springtime, snow is receeded and nature is renewing

plum tree represents regrowth

.in this image is represents regrowth in a tree that is old and mascuiline and off of it comes beautiful blossoms

Ogata Kenzan: Set of Food Dishes

.maple leaf design on inside and outside

.represents fall season

.brothers sometimes worked together

.very colorful RINPA type style

.good design and good quality

.created his own enamels so everything was perfect, no problems with glazes because he oversaw everything

.plates are useful and beautiful

.the water design is HEAVILY stylized

maple leaves are stagnant and the water is flowing

.TATSUTA – area was well known for maple viewing – associated by poems and literary tales

ASSOCIATIED – leaves floating on the river – transience – beauty in death and change 

 Yosa Buson: Bare Peaks of Mount Gabi

.unique style

.didn't paint until he was 40

.varied style

.chinese landscape

the wash is very important - poetic feel

-snowy feel and half moon set the mood

li Bai - poet

Uragami Gyokudo (1745 - 1829)

.samarie in the service of a prominant lord

.kotu - instrument he played

wandering musician poet

Eastern Clouds, Shifted Snow

Uragami Gyokudo

.hanging scroll

.disturbed, active and distressed

History

-contact with the west moved Momoyama into the Edo period

-Jesutis had contact with Japan

-through non violent image that had pictorial stories of westerners in japan

-like catholic rituals in

Jesutis trying to convert Japanese to Christianity – very successful – it became a threat

-shops brought imagery along with people to help instruct people

-Niccolo was teaching Japanese how to create Christian art and produced many images

-images created during the period look like Western Art

-images were made from original oil paintings brought over

-novel experiment, teaching people knew mediums as well as religion

Maria Kannon

Edo Period

-this is a deity within Buddhism – a bodestava that has a female or genderless feeling

-shows mercy and compassion

-perfect substitution to the virgin mary

has a cross hidden on her necklace

combination of diety and mary

Kakure Kirishitan – other forms of hidden Christianity

blend of east and west

could still worship

Statues with crosses on the back, hidden from visitors

-many of the images hidden in rafters of homes or buried

18^th century to early 19th

the Dutch were allowed to stay but were separated in a Deshima

-relegated to a specific island

-geshia could visit the island

Shiba Kokan:

Stowe Landscap

Edo Period

-critical of those who did not like

-investagative

-interested in architecture

-interested in things Western and science

adopted all things western he believed that portraits should look like the people they are

.linear perpspective- unusual

.depth

.deeper horizon

Hell Scrolls

Jigoku-zoshi

.many levels of hell

.can get out of hell with the help of a bodhisattva or praying family

.vivid image

.scrolls are divided up between different museums

.inspired by sutras

.horseheaded demons are beating people into the flames - monks would beat animals

Hell Scrolls

Hell of the Iron Mortar

.backgrounds are very dark

.offsetting the prominent firgures - old and emaciated

.suffering

.demons are making humans suffer

.humans can be reborn as demons

.body being stuck in a grinder and coming out as bones

Hungry ghosts Scroll

Gahi - Zoshi

.17ft long

.buddhist realms of existence

.terrible realm for spirits to suffer eternal hungry and thirst

.the demons co-exist around humans who remain unaware

.eating poops

.demons could be family

The Hundred Ghosts (Ghost of Kohada Koheiji)

Hokusai

.ghost stories invented at any time - sometimes related to real events

.story telling games - would extinguish wicks as more stories were told

.social experience

.she appears out of lantern

.scary

.has a drooping eye

The Plate Mansion Okiku

Hundred Ghosts

Hokusai

. about a girl who has to sleep with her boss or die

.he throws her down the well

.she counts to nine and then screams

.her emerging from the well

.scales or plates

Ghost of Okiku

Yoshitoshi

36 ghosts stories

he is known for violent images

giving you a different view

trees drop around her to emphasize sadness

restrained

The Lucky Teakettle of Morin Temple

yoshitoshi

.many creatures can exist in your house

.if you get rid of animals in your house it will come back to haunt you

.TANUKI - mischevious creature who turns into a teakettle

.animals can either kill you, help you or just cause trouble

.