Western Cultural Influence on Japanese Artistry - Essay Example

Teacher 5 November 2007 Western Cultural influence on Japanese Artistry Introduction Japanese art has undergone major changes since the end of national isolation; with the onslaught of European, Asian and North American tourism and beliefs, Japanese culture has not only changed in terms of its economics, politics and other social factors but its artists have changed their focus as well (Martinez, pp.25-29). Between the Meiji Restoration in the latter half of the 19th century and the Taisho Era prior to the First World War, Japanese culture was significantly changed due to Western influence and the styles of traditional Japanese art were changed or largely abandoned for Western artistic techniques. During the period of Japanese isolation, artists were inspired to draw from their own cultural history and to create artwork based on the development of traditional techniques. Their work was heavily influenced by religious beliefs such as Buddhism and the Yoga lifestyle; after Western cultures were introduced to the nation, artists would study abroad and bring home classic European techniques such as impressionism, post-impressionism and eclecticism that would both stand alone and change the traditional Japanese techniques into new styles. During the early years of Western perception of Japanese art, many traditional styles were viewed as identical, due simply to the fact that European and North American audiences were not accustomed to them (Tipton, pp.53-55). While post-war Japan would be indisputably influenced by international cultures, it was the years of the Meiji Restoration and the Taisho era that started the artistic shift from traditional Japanese to modern Western styles. Traditional Japanese Art Japanese artistry has traditionally encompassed many areas: calligraphy, architecture, painting, pottery, prints, sculpture and even weaponry. Artistic expression, and in particular beauty, was something that was incorporated into virtually every aspect of traditional Japanese life and it is this basis on which artists of the late 19th century and early 20th century worked. Artists were directly influenced by their own Japanese artistic history and styles of production reflected Buddhist and other spiritual beliefs. Aside from sculpting Buddhas and the development of early ceramic techniques that would become invaluable throughout the world, Japanese artists took quite easily to painting as a major form of art. The fact that calligraphy was in itself an art form, rendered not only for function but for beauty, had a direct hand in the large-scale development of Japanese painting because both involved the use of a brush. Brush skills were such a rudimentary part of Japanese life that it was second nature for artists to pick up a paintbrush and work on complete pictures instead of just characters. Because of this initial correlation between calligraphy and painting, one can easily see how the latter developed from the former. Japanese painting has traditionally utilized the same brush techniques as were necessary for the formation of calligraphy characters; these were further developed however the origins of such painting techniques can easily be discerned. Where traditional European painting was characterized by the use of the paintbrush to show objects in realistic form by making use of light and shading, Japanese painting formed as an offshoot of calligraphy and therefore objects were portrayed in a basic style that used individual lines in a form of impressionism. Artwork in the Edo Period, immediately prior to the Meija era, encompassed not only painting and ceramics, but architecture and woodblock prints. Stunning architectural styles were not only beautiful when standing alone, but they were created in conjunction with various gardens that were designed to showcase the buildings in the best light. Traditional Japanese architecture is internationally famed alongside the country's ceramics, silk weaving and other art forms, but perhaps most unique to Japanese traditional art was the development of woodblock prints. In the 17th and 18th centuries, painting developed into an art form that was not so closely related to calligraphy as it once was, and these new painting styles were printed on wooden screens to depict various scenes and landscapes. Woodblock prints and the myriad of other traditional Japanese artwork styles were, until this point, very much influenced by Japanese culture itself and in further points in history, China. This was the state of the Japanese art world immediately preceding the Meiji Restoration. Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Eclecticism The late 19th century and early 20th century were years of extensive artistic movement throughout Europe and the rest of the Western world. Not only were artists developing their own styles based on new materials, but the artwork itself was becoming more and more influenced by politics, social movement and new schools of philosophy. Impressionist, post-impressionist and eclectic painters were on the rise throughout Western culture and it was these styles of expression that would most capture the imaginations of Japanese artists upon their exposure to the new techniques. If impressionist painting could be defined by the work of Camille Pissarro, then post-impressionism might be defined by the paintings of Paul Cezanne(Harrison and Wood, pp.11-12). The first technique was related to abstract styles, however it relied more on the incorporation of light into its works. Impressionist work has been notoriously difficult to label, however it can be said that the style was meant to imitate reality while simultaneously incorporating illusion. The key to the illusory aspect of impressionist paintings is the light; whereas prior painting techniques involved very dark and muted colors, impressionists brought in new and brighter colors that were to mimic not only the reality of light but to enlist its help in creating mystery. Impressionists realized that by bringing light into their paintings they could manipulate it to their will and call upon new perceptions from their audience. Post-impressionism was conceived of following the impressionist phase in Europe, particularly in France, and this technique was based on the expansion of impressionist ideals. Instead of merely focusing on the use of light to express subtext within a painting, post-impressionist painters utilized other techniques that meant to portray reality from a unique perceptive. This meant that painters would change the relative size of objects within the painting, change colors, bring in light where there would not be any in reality and in essence use various methods of showcasing reality turned on edge. Another major Western artistic technique that would captivate Japanese artists was eclecticism. Essentially, eclecticism encompassed various styles of artistry, as well seemingly various subjects, simultaneously. Artists using this technique found that they were freer to express their ideas and perceptions to an audience when not restrained by only one method of expression, and therefore brought in every measure they deemed necessary to complete their work. The result of this were paintings that could at once seem a jumble of styles and unique pieces of work. When these styles were taken into the context of traditional Japanese artwork that had not seen any major foreign influence for years, they became the pinnacle of modern, alluring art. Japanese artists would immediately bring home what they saw in Europe and North America and forever change the style of Japanese art. Changes in Traditional Japanese Art Over the course of the 20th century, North America and Europe have been cited as the source of many changes in Japanese culture and art (Tahara, pp.41-44). The Meiji Restoration in particular was responsible for processing these new aspects Western society and ideas and creating a new, dynamic and unique Asian culture within Japan (Morton, pp.11-44). At first, the stark difference in the incoming cultures and traditional Japanese culture led to a divide in art forms: traditional forms like wooden prints and ceramics were juxtaposed with Western modern art, particularly in the form of paintings. Artists who had been traditionally taught Japanese methods were often stubborn when it came to incorporating European styles into their work; there was another class of artist, however, that was intrigued by the new artistic techniques and Western culture itself. In 1907, the Ministry of Education in Japan established the Bunten: an artistic organization that resulted in an amalgamation of traditional Japanese art styles with modern Western works (Ishida, pp.101-109). The Bunten was highly controversial in that it seemed to welcome Western art unquestionably into Japan; the artists affiliated with the group were nevertheless largely responsible for the development of modern Japanese art. This change was not only due to the fact that many artists and audiences were excited about the possibilities of new techniques; it was also due to the underlying political and social factors that are always present in art. The 1914 Bunten Exhibition showcased Western techniques such as neo-classicism and post-impressionism, and marked the beginning of widespread acceptance of these styles in Japanese art (Hume, pp.50-53). The Taisho period in Japan lasted from 1912 to 1926, and during this time Emperor Taisho was dealing with poor health, massive debts and overwhelming foreign investments. In an effort to deal with this failing economy, Taisho's country underwent a shift from strict empiricism to a form of democracy and thus Japanese society became quickly more liberalized (Smith, pp.38-46). Attitudes that were primarily responsible for the implementation of democratic systems and political freedom were quickly refocused onto daily aspects of life: households were changing from a traditional to a more egalitarian focus, the economy was becoming more dependent on foreign investment and Japanese artists felt a desire to express themselves in a less traditional, conservative way (Smith, pp.78-82). During this period, Japanese artists were traveling often from their native country to European capitals of modern art: Paris became a major force in the development of 19th century Japanese painting when artists returned home refocused on impressionism, post-impressionism and eclecticism (Martinez, pp44-69). The new styles not only reflected directly on Japanese painting, but the acceptance of Western culture and artistic values also led to a shift in the perception of art by Japanese society. Although to the Japanese, art was considered to exist in every aspect of life because of gardens, architecture and designer clothing, Western ideas of art were more focused on non-functional items like paintings and sculptures. The onslaught of Western culture in Japan was responsible for this fundamental shift in artistic perception, and with the change came a new era of artistic expression. One of the most memorable artistic outcomes of the amalgamation of Western and Japanese art is Manga. Manga is a specific form of Japanese comic that has a unique appearance; it has gained international fame for its appealing artwork coupled with the popular comic and pop-art form. Tipton believes that Manga, although it can be shown to have its roots in very early Japanese screens and other artworks, was directly influenced by French and English political cartoons of the early 19th century and 20th century (pp.91-95). Japanese artists were able to convert European political satire into their own version of contemporary art and social commentary in a way that people could really appreciate. Conclusion During the Meija Restoration and the Taisho era in Japan, traditional artwork and the perception of art by audiences and artists themselves changed dramatically due to Western influence. Artists, and in particular painters, from Europe had new techniques to offer Japanese artists who had for years seen very little foreign culture enter their country, and when Emperor Taisho opened the doors of the nation to international investment he unwittingly brought in a cultural change that would alter the art world. Political changes within Japan, particularly the shift from an empire to a democratic state, marked a liberalism of social structure and this new attitude of Japanese citizens leaked its way into the art world both in it its production and perception. A major part of the change in Japanese art during the late 19th and early 20th centuries is the refocus of art as a part of everyday life (in functional forms like architecture, clothing, writing) to its existence purely as an aesthetic and effectively useless form of expression. Painting took on great popularity amongst Japanese artists who had, prior to the influx of Western culture, more commonly been trained in artistic practices like calligraphy, wooden printing and sculpting. Through the development of painting from its origins as an art form closely related to calligraphy to a more layered, expressionist art, Japanese artists found themselves admiring and then emulating impressionist, post-impressionist and eclectic works like European artists. Works Cited Harrison, Charles and Paul Wood. Art in Theory 1900-2000; an anthology of changing ideas. Blackwell Publishing: Padstow, UK, 2002. Hume, Nancy. Japanese Aesthetics and Culture. SUNY Press, 1995. Ishida, Takeshi. Japanese Political Culture. Transaction Publishers, 1983. Martinez, Deloris. The Worlds of Japanese Popular Culture. Cambridge University Press, 1998. Morton, William. Japan. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2005. Smith, Robert. Japanese Culture. Routledge, 2004. Tahara, Mildred. New Trends & Issues in Teaching Japanese Language & Culture. University of Hawaii Press, 1997. Tipton, Elise. Being Modern in Japan. University of Hawaii Press, 2000. Read More