Articles

Kawase Hasui’s “Bell Tower in Okayama” (1947) This Japanese color wood cut print is currently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.  At age of 26, an age many art professional would have considered to old, Hasui launched a career in printmaking,  During the 1920’s the artist was introduced to publisher Wurantanabe Shouzaburg who was the originator of the art movement called “Shin Hanga”or called “New Prints.” This collaboration encouraged Hausi to design prints supported by a team of artists, carvers, and printmakers. This factory approach to art making allowed Shouzaburg to create a new style that differed from 19th century Japanese printmaking. The Shin Hanga style (1923- 1952) provided new features, including the effects of light and shadow and the use of western perspective. Inspired by French Impressionism, Shin Hanga artists gave the collector a romantic view of a place that disappeared from modern Japan. In her article, “The World of Japanese Prints,” Sarah Thompson comments,                                                   "My observation of Hasui print “Bell Tower in Okayama "(1947) begins with the composition of the work. Immediately, I experience a dream-like environment that includes the arrangement of buildings. Towards the center of the composition is a bell tower. The tower is constructed by a series of wooden tiers that rise to enormous heights. The architectural arrangement of this massive structure is composed of variation of light and dark lines creating a sense of weight and volume. Dense and dark lines define the dynamics of the building.  From the article, “Contemporary Art in Japan. Erica Beckh states, “ In the Hanga or modern wood cut print the Japanese are leaders not imitators ignoring the popular 18th century Ukinyo-e prints of the colorful…The bold and much older black and white Japanese print a thousand years ago. The strength of the modern wood cut print lies in the black pattern and wood texture combined with limited and simple and effective color.2” The simple and effective color can be seen on various windows and doors placed throughout the print.  The facades on the outside of the buildings appear slanted and curvilinear.  The subtle shades of whites and blues illuminate the dominant overcast of mist. The technique of perspective (1 point) suggests the illusion of space. Hasui manipulates a flat picture plane by drawing angles that lead to points of convergence. The exaggeration of size reveals multi-dimensional dwellings. The “Bell Tower in Okayama” (1947) conveys a scene that is one of melancholy and solitude. Thin diagonal lines depict rain and mist, which emphasize a subjective view. A lone figure in the distance is holding a yellow umbrella. The figure appears to be a woman standing where angles converge toward a vanishing point. Her presence draws the viewer into the scene. Red flowers in pots and the old street light fixtures lead the eye throughout the print.  The line hatching applied to the wooden slants gives a tactile quality to the surface of neighboring buildings. The smallness of the print allows the viewer to scan a variety of design elements inside the picture plane.  The organic shape of the female figure holding the umbrella adds interest and variety juxtaposed to geometric blocks of color. I am struck by the distorted reflection of buildings outlining the water passages throughout these closely knit housing structures. Hasaui artistic design succeeds in creating an eerie feeling about a static environment where people are rarely shown. Many Japanese artists studied French impressionist painting to illustrate the fleeting moments of Japan’s past. To provide this sense of combining realism with subjective moods, Hasui sketches live scenes under different lighting conditions. Hasui’s  “Bell Tower of Okamyama” is a wonderful example  of the subjective and objective nature of drawing. The artist’s mechanical rendering of architectural forms with aerial perspective heighten his visual perceptions in a personal way. Hasui invites the viewer to experience a unique and mysterious place from the past. Finally, curator Gabriel Weisberg concludes during the Shin Hanga period and beyond “ Japanese prints were avidly collected by artists and critics who supported the collection of Japanese art work. These reviews were instrumental in reaching a wide audience in calling the attention to the opportunities that could be found in the examination and appreciation of their new art source.3” 1. Thompson, Sarah,  “The World of Japanese Prints”    Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 82 No 349/350,  Winter/Spring 1986 2. Beckh, Erica, “ Contemporary Art in Japan”  College Art Journal, Vol. 19, No. 1 Autumn 1959, p.20 3. Weisberg, Gabriel P.   The Bulletin of Cleveland Museum of Art, Vol. 62,  April 1975, p.2 William Hill Contributing Editor Expressionism: Questions on Canvas As we experience the turbulence of war in Afghanistan and economic instability at home, It is not a coincidence that expressionist art is resurfacing in our contemporary culture. The Expressionist movement began in similarly in turbulent times, in Germany, between 1905 and 1918.  World War I and economic turmoil caused artists to question established values. They used explosive colors and exaggerated art forms to express these questions on canvas. The philosophy of Expressionism was best described by Vincent Van Gogh. In correspondence with his brother, Van Gogh, remarked, “Instead of trying to render exactly what I have before my eyes I use color more arbitrarily in order to express myself more powerfully.” German Expressionist built on Van Gogh’s style by combining expressive color with geometric shapes. Influenced by Van Gogh, the renowned artist Franz Marc utilized Expressionism to create organic forms in motion through a lucid palette of yellow, reds and blues. Today, neo-expressionism continues to inspire emerging artists in film, painting, photography and performance art.This innovative art form provides new dialogue and spiritual fulfillment in times of social and political change. William Hill Contributing Editor