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Ukiyo-e at the Boca Museum
Post #773 • April 12, 2006, 11:25 AM • 13 Comments
The Boca Museum effectively chose A Floating World: Japanese Prints from the Collection to hang across from the aforementioned Whistler show. Whistler drew inspiration from ukiyo-e, along with nearly every other contemporaneous painter of note. It showed up in his prints, especially, as he borrowed the spatial devices of Hiroshige's landscapes. None of the other three printmakers represented could match Hiroshige's enormous charm and subtle coloration, but Kunisada came close with vibrant, figure-oriented depictions of kabuki theater scenes.
Utagawa Kunisada (Touokuni III, Japanese, 1786-1865), Actors under Cherry Blossoms, circa 1858-65, color woodblock print, one panel from a triptych.
Utagawa Kunisada [Touokuni III] (Japanese, 1786-1865), from the series Competition of Beauties and Celebrate Views of Japan, circa 1832, color woodblock print
2.
April 12, 2006, 1:25 PM
I couldn't tell if Jack was being sarcastic or not, so I checked out Scharf's web site. It's a Flash catastrophe, and I didn't get very far in it, but far enough to get my answer: yes.
3.
April 12, 2006, 1:25 PM
Whistler drew inspiration from ukiyo-e, along with nearly every other contemporaneous painter of note.
Franklin, do you mean A.) that Whistler drew inspiration from nearly every other contemporaneous painter of note; or B.) That nearly every other painter of note also drew inspiration from ukiyo-e?
4.
April 12, 2006, 1:26 PM
You couldn't tell if Jack was being sarcastic?
5.
April 12, 2006, 6:36 PM
Thank you for the link alesh. It does add to Jack's comment prefectly. My abdominal muscles are still recovering.
6.
April 12, 2006, 8:08 PM
Mirth is all well and good, but I trust you people realize Kenny Scharf is a Big Name and not just some "emerging" artist, so please show proper respect. I'm sure his work is in all manner of major collections, and major collectors are not to be taken lightly (which is why major dealers take them for all they're worth). Besides, Kevin Bruk is showing Scharf, and Bruk is prospective Basel material, or so one hears. I'm sure he'd never compromise his standing by showing imbecilic nonsense unless it was officially sanctioned imbecilic nonsense (which makes all the difference, obviously). After all, correctness is everything, so stop snickering and get with the program. There could be some doughnuts in it for you.
7.
April 12, 2006, 8:12 PM
P.S. Alesh, I'm touched by your innocence, but maybe you need more Cuban coffee. For our Canadian friends, it's just like amphetamines, only cheaper and legal.
8.
April 12, 2006, 8:38 PM
Dry sarcasm, doughnuts, and highly caffeinated warm drinks...are you sure you aren't Canadian Jack?
9.
April 13, 2006, 2:39 PM
I'm pretty sure I'm not Canadian. Of course, I was pretty sure I wasn't Jewish, either, but then an Orthodox Jew approached me in Miami Beach as if I were, so go figure. Must be some sort of gene scrambling deal.
10.
April 13, 2006, 6:08 PM
At one point in the recent past, Jack, on this blog, one of us was characterized as having descended from Torquemada. I think it was you. Probably if you get your genes traced you will find inquisitional DNA running around, compelling you to condemn all that nice happy pomo you see out there.
11.
April 13, 2006, 10:14 PM
Yep, OP, it was me. I must say the Torquemada rap is a tad trite, but I suppose it beats Hitler. Anyway, being taken for a Jew by someone who ought to know was kind of cool.
12.
April 13, 2006, 11:03 PM
Maybe it was your black fedora and trenchcoat, Jack.... are you sure your last name isn't Abramoff?
13.
April 14, 2006, 8:39 AM
My real last name is Rothschild, but don't tell anybody. I don't know Abramoff from Adam.
1.
Jack
April 12, 2006, 12:55 PM
This is all very nice, Franklin, but we should really try harder to be in touch with our moment (such as it is). For instance, the current Kenny Scharf show at Kevin Bruk positively cries out for attention. Relevance, don't you know. I innocently wandered into the place last Saturday night, on my way out of Snitzer, and I found it riveting (I mean the mounds of free doughnuts with every frosting imaginable, though they weren't part of the show, just munchies). I always appreciate a departure from those damn cheese cubes. Guess I'm just the transgressive type.
But seriously (cough), Scharf meets Britto's challenge and does him one better. For those advanced enough to appreciate the exquisite irony of infantile (not to say moronic) jokes as Art, this stuff is unbeatable.