You may have heard about Japonisme – the influence Japanese art had on Western art in the 19th century, after Japanese ports reopened in 1854, having been closed to the West for over 200 years. I posted about 8 Great Artists Inspired by Japanese Art a while back. Artists like Van Gogh, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec saw the artistic creativity of Japanese non-realist art, and were inspired to paint works mimicking their color palette of secondary and tertiary colors, asymmetrical compositions, and creative expressions of form. I hear a lot about Japonisme. I love it. What I haven’t heard as much about is the influence the West had on Japanese artists.
Although depictions of beautiful women were one of the primary subjects of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, before the 19th century, the completely nude body as an independent form was rare in Japanese art. Japanese figures were usually stylized presentations showcasing hairstyles, kimono and textile designs. What the figures were wearing and how they were wearing it was more important than the form of the body. So, Japanese artists contributed color, abstraction, and asymmetrical composition to the West, and the West contributed … casually naked women. As an official spokesperson for all Western Artists, all I have to say is “You’re welcome.”
I recently got to see a few of these very Parisian looking woodblock prints, made by a Ishikawa Toraji (1875-1964). What Western artists do these compositions remind you of?
Every quarter I teach figure drawing on Sundays. No class is ever the same, which means that every artist gets to experience different ways to approach the figure. Each comes with a specific challenge that teaches a skill, and I hold the artists to that challenge, but individual styles are celebrated, as you’ll see in …
Paul Horiuchi 1906-1999 From Greg Kucera Gallery: It is said that Japanese artists invented collage over 800 years ago; some say Horiuchi perfected it. His work has been described as romantic, serene, and sensitive. Some say his collages have earned him the title Master of Collage. Horiuchi was born in Japan and at an early …
This is one in a series of posts showcasing work made by students in the League’s online classes. We have now been in quarantine for twelve months. In the last year, the League has grown in numbers, and our artistic voice as a school has evolved. We started working with Special Guest Star Fran O’Neill …
Changing a figure’s surrounding transforms its mood and meaning. In “Drawing into Painting: Reconfiguring the Figure,” an online class at Seattle Artist League, Fran O’Neill led students in rethinking figure placement through drawing, collage, and painting. Using historical artworks, Zoom models, and personal photos, students reworked compositions, developed drawings into paintings, and examined how shifts …
Japonisme, Parisme
You may have heard about Japonisme – the influence Japanese art had on Western art in the 19th century, after Japanese ports reopened in 1854, having been closed to the West for over 200 years. I posted about 8 Great Artists Inspired by Japanese Art a while back. Artists like Van Gogh, Degas, and Toulouse Lautrec saw the artistic creativity of Japanese non-realist art, and were inspired to paint works mimicking their color palette of secondary and tertiary colors, asymmetrical compositions, and creative expressions of form. I hear a lot about Japonisme. I love it. What I haven’t heard as much about is the influence the West had on Japanese artists.
Although depictions of beautiful women were one of the primary subjects of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, before the 19th century, the completely nude body as an independent form was rare in Japanese art. Japanese figures were usually stylized presentations showcasing hairstyles, kimono and textile designs. What the figures were wearing and how they were wearing it was more important than the form of the body. So, Japanese artists contributed color, abstraction, and asymmetrical composition to the West, and the West contributed … casually naked women. As an official spokesperson for all Western Artists, all I have to say is “You’re welcome.”
I recently got to see a few of these very Parisian looking woodblock prints, made by a Ishikawa Toraji (1875-1964). What Western artists do these compositions remind you of?
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Figure Drawings from Summer 2020
Every quarter I teach figure drawing on Sundays. No class is ever the same, which means that every artist gets to experience different ways to approach the figure. Each comes with a specific challenge that teaches a skill, and I hold the artists to that challenge, but individual styles are celebrated, as you’ll see in …
Paul Horiuchi
Paul Horiuchi 1906-1999 From Greg Kucera Gallery: It is said that Japanese artists invented collage over 800 years ago; some say Horiuchi perfected it. His work has been described as romantic, serene, and sensitive. Some say his collages have earned him the title Master of Collage. Horiuchi was born in Japan and at an early …
Online Anniversary Show: Fran O’Neill, Part 3
This is one in a series of posts showcasing work made by students in the League’s online classes. We have now been in quarantine for twelve months. In the last year, the League has grown in numbers, and our artistic voice as a school has evolved. We started working with Special Guest Star Fran O’Neill …
Reconfiguring the Figure: art from Fran O’Neill’s class
Changing a figure’s surrounding transforms its mood and meaning. In “Drawing into Painting: Reconfiguring the Figure,” an online class at Seattle Artist League, Fran O’Neill led students in rethinking figure placement through drawing, collage, and painting. Using historical artworks, Zoom models, and personal photos, students reworked compositions, developed drawings into paintings, and examined how shifts …