The Evolution of Japanese Art
The Evolution of Japanese Art
The Evolution of Japanese Art
Mentor: Učenik:
Nataša Mrdaković Sara Ružičić
TABLE OF CONTETNS
1. SUMMARY.........................................................................................3
2. INFLUENCES.....................................................................................4
3. PAINTING...........................................................................................6
4. ARCHITECTURE...............................................................................9
5. GARDEN...........................................................................................10
6. POTTERY..........................................................................................12
7. LACQUERWARE.............................................................................15
8. TEXTILES.........................................................................................18
9. PERFORMING ARTS.......................................................................24
10. MODERN ART..................................................................................27
11. CONCLUSION..................................................................................31
LITERATURE.........................................................................................32
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1. SUMMARY
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art form, used to produce colorfully printed post cards, theater programs,
news bulletins and text books.
Painting is the preferred artistic expression in Japan, practiced by amateurs
and professionals alike. Ink and water color painting were an outgrowth of
calligraphy; until modern times, the Japanese wrote with a brush rather
than a pen. Oil painting was introduced when Japan came into contact with
the West during the sixteenth century, along with Western aesthetic
concepts such as the use of perspective in landscapes. Contemporary
Japanese painters work in all genres including traditional ink and water
color painting, classical oil painting, and modern media.
Japanese ceramics are among the finest in the world and include the
earliest known artifacts of Japanese culture. In architecture, Japanese
preferences for natural materials and an interaction of interior and exterior
space are clearly expressed.
Japan's contributions to contemporary art, fashion and architecture, are
creations of a modern, global, and multi-cultural (or acultural) bent.
2. INFLUENCES
Until the end of the 8th century, both through Korea and directly, Japan
was under profound influence from China, which left its traces in the
writing system (script), religion, architecture, pottery and other forms of
art. The script and religion were adopted in Japan approximately at the
same time, during Asuka (532-645.) and Nara (645-794.) periods.
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In the 6th century Japan adopted Buddhism and so began the rise of
Buddhist art. The Horyu-ji temple, Nara, founded around 610. AD, is
regarded as a cradle of Japanese art, with its architecture, sculptures,
paintings etc. Furthermore, it is probably the best-preserved Buddhist
temple of its kind, since those in China were destroyed during the
centuries.
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Tamamushi shrine, glit wood, Horyu-ji museum Nara Shaka triad, gilt
bronze, Horyu-ji Temple, Nara
Only at the end of the 8th century, during the Heian period, Chinese
influence started to diminish, Japanese styles began to change, and for the
first time, original domestic spirit could be recognized.
3. PAINTING
Japanese painting is one of the oldest and most refined Japanese visual
arts, encompassing a wide variety of genres and styles. As with the history
of Japanese arts in general, the long history of Japanese painting exhibits
synthesis and competition between native Japanese aesthetics and the
adaptation of imported ideas, mainly from Chinese painting, which was
especially influential at various points; Significant Western influence only
comes from the late 16th century onwards, beginning at the same time
Japanese art was influencing Western art.
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Three Beauties of the Present Day (1793)-Kitagawa Utamaro
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It is very similar to the Chinese art of the Song and Yuan dynasties
(Chinese: sumi - shower), so it is also called KARA-E or KANGA,
"Chinese painting".
It developed, both in China and in Japan, under the strong influence of the
Buddhist sect ZEN and its particular relationship to nature.
Sumi-e is the art of lines and tonal values from completely black to white.
It is characterized by perfect simplicity, moderation, purity, absence of
ornament. He likes to use the form of a vertical scroll (kakemono) on
which only one scene, portrait, landscape or flowers is regularly painted.
Kakemono, along with a vase with artistically arranged flowers (ikebana),
usually decorates a characteristic niche of Japanese interiors (tokonoma),
fixed and movable walls (fusuma) and screens (byobu).
3.3 UKIYO-E
This third great Japanese style, whose name means "Life that passes",
appeared in the 17th century and flourished at the beginning of the EDO
period. Realistic scenes from the everyday life of an ordinary person come
into vogue.
The paintings of the Ukiyo school most often depict the life of the
entertainment districts of Ed (today's Tokyo) and their popularity is
associated with the strong development of the famous Japanese
woodcarving, which multiplied Ukiyo's works first in one color, then in
two and then in more colors.
4. ARCHITECTURE
Japanese architecture (日本 建築 Nihon kenchicu) is traditionally marked
by wooden structures, slightly elevated from the ground, with tiled roofs.
Sliding doors (fusuma) were used instead of walls, allowing the interior
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configuration of the space to be adapted to different occasions. People
usually sat on pillows or otherwise on the floor, traditionally; chairs and
high tables were not widely used until the 20th century. However, since
the 19th century, Japan has incorporated much of Western, modern and
postmodern architecture into construction and design, and today is a leader
in state-of-the-art architectural design and technology. The earliest
Japanese architecture was seen in prehistoric times in simple houses and
warehouses adapted to the needs of the population of hunters and
gatherers. Influence of the Han Dynasty China introduced more complex
grain stores and ceremonial tombs through Korea.
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barrel are completely absent. Columnar enthusiasm (convexity in the
middle) is limited.
The roof is the most impressive component, which often represents half
the size of the entire building. Slightly curved caps extend far above the
walls, which cover the verandas, and their weight must therefore be
supported by complex console systems and called Tokio, in the case of
temples and shrines. Some solutions have been adopted in domestic
structures. Huge canopies give the interior a characteristic dimension,
which contributes to the atmosphere of the building. The interior of a
building usually consists of one room in the center called the Moia.
Seiganto-ji-Wakayama Prefecture
5. GARDEN
Japanese garden, in landscape design, a type of garden whose major design
aesthetics is a simple, minimalist natural setting designed to inspire
reflection and meditation.
Japanese gardens are generally classified according to the nature of the
terrain, either tsuki-yama (“artificial hills”) or hira-niwa (“level ground”),
each having particular features. Tsuki-yama consists of hills and ponds,
and hira-niwa consists of flat ground designed to represent a valley or
moor; tsuki-yama may include a portion laid out as hira-niwa.
Each type may, furthermore, be treated in any one of the three degrees of
elaboration mentioned. Hill gardens as a rule include a stream and a pond
of real water, but there is a special variation, the kare sansui(dried-up
landscape) style, in which rocks are composed to suggest a waterfall and
its basin and, for a winding stream or a pond, gravel or sand is used to
symbolize water or to suggest seasonally dried-up terrain.
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Otani garden-Tokyo
There are other styles: sen-tei (“water garden”); rin-sen (“forest and
water”); and, in level gardens, bunjin (“literary scholar”), a simple and
small style typically integrating bonsai. The tea garden, or roji (“dewy
ground or lane”), is another distinct garden style evolved to meet the
requirements of the tea ceremony. Genkansaki (“front of entrance”) have
always claimed special treatment—a simple curve in the path is used
whenever possible, partly to conceal the door to the house and partly to
give character to its front aspect. Japanese gardens are characterized by:
the waterfall, of which there are ten or more different arrangements; the
spring and stream to which it gives rise; the lake; hills, built up from earth
excavated from the basin for the lake; islands; bridges of many varieties;
and the natural guardian stones. The selection and effective distribution of
the stones are a prime consideration in garden design. After endless
experiments and deep pondering, the best and most subtle compositions
were handed down by means of drawings. A studied irregularity in the
arrangement of stepping stones is a noteworthy feature of the chanoyu
garden, where beauty and use are combined.
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Golden Pavilion Zen garden-Kyoto
6. POTTERY
Pottery is one of the most famous Japanese art forms. Tourists can admire
classic ceramic ware in museums, visit famous pottery towns, participate
in pottery-related things or enjoy tableware at restaurants.
Antique bowl
The earliest forms of ceramics in Japan were found about 10,000 years ago
during the Jomon Period (13,000 BC to 300 BC) when most inhabitants
were hunters and gatherers. The era's name, Jomon, refers to the typical
patterns seen on the contemporary pottery which was made unglazed and
baked in large bonfires. It was not until the Kofun Period (300 AD to 538
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AD) that firing techniques were further developed and covered kilns were
used.
Japanese ceramic history records distinguished many potter names, and
some were artist-potters, Honami Koetsu, Ogata Kenzan, and Aoki
Mokubei. Japanese anagama kilns also have flourished through the ages,
and their influence weighs with that of the potters. Another
characteristically Japanese aspect of the art is the continuing popularity of
unglazed high-fired stoneware even after porcelain became popular. Since
the 4th century, Japanese ceramics have often been influenced by Chinese
and Koeran pottery. Japan transformed and translated the Chinese and
Korean prototypes into a uniquely Japanese creation, and the result was
distinctly Japanese in character.
Since the mid-17th century when Japan started to industrialize, high-
quality standard wares produced in factories became popular exports to
Europe. In the 20th century, a modern ceramics industry grew up.
Vase
7. LACQUERWARE
Lacquerware is a Japanese craft with a wide range of fine and decorative
arts, as lacquer has been used in urushi-e, prints, and on a wide variety of
objects from Buddha statues to bento boxes for food.
The characteristic of Japanese lacquerware is the diversity of lacquerware
using a decoration technique called maki-e in which metal powder is
sprinkled to attach to
lacquer. The invention of various maki-e techniques in Japanese history
expanded artistic expression, and various tools and works of art such as
inro are highly decoration. A number of terms are used in Japanese to refer
to lacquerware. Shikki (漆器) means "lacquer ware" in the most literal
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sense, while nurimono (塗物) means "coated things", and urushi-nuri
(漆塗) means "lacquer coating."
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Laquerware bento
A few examples of traditional techniques follow:
• ikkanbari (一閑張), also known as harinuki (張貫) is one common
technique used to make tea wares. Invented by Hiki Ikkan in the early 17th
century, the process involves the application of layers of lacquer to paper
shaped in a mold.
• iro-urushi (色漆), literally "color lacquer", was created by adding
pigments to clear lacquer. The limits of natural pigments allowed only five
colors (red, black, yellow, green and brown) to be used up until the 19th
century, when various innovations appeared, along with the later
introduction of
• Western artificial pigments. Shibata Zeshin was a major innovator in this
field, using not only color but also other substances mixed in with his
lacquer to achieve a wide variety of effects, including the simulated
appearance of precious metals, which were heavily restricted from artistic
use at the time due to government concerns over excessive extravagance.
• shunkei-nuri (春慶塗), Shunkei lacquerware; it is created using
transparent lacquer on yellow- or red-stained wood, so that the natural
wood grain can be seen (similar to 'Kuroye Nuri' in this respect). The name
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is derived from the inventor who was active in Sakai during the reign of
the Emperor Go-Kameyama (1368-1392). This method became popular in
the 17th century in Takayama, Hida province. Many articles for use in tea-
drinking were manufactured using this technique.
• urushi-hanga (漆絵版画), developed by Hakuo Iriyama, producing a
printing plate from dry lacquer, that was carved and finally used like a
block print but instead of traditional printing colors with pigmented
lacquer.
• raden (螺鈿) using inlays of shell and ivory to decorate pieces that usually
have a wood base
• maki-e (蒔絵) using metal powders, including gold, silver, copper and
their alloys, spread with bamboo tubes or fine brushes. In hiramaki-e, the
powders are sprinkled onto wet lacquer, to be then covered by another
layer of lacquer. Takamaki-e achieves a high relief effect by repeated
layers, sometimes including the addition of charcoal, sawdust or clay.
Togashi-e involves covering the original maki-e in several layers of
lacquer, then polishing down until the design is visible.
8. TEXTILES
There are typically two types of clothing worn in Japan: traditional
clothing known as Japanese clothing (和服, wafuku), including the
national dress of Japan,
the kimono, and Western clothing (洋服, yōfuku), which encompasses all
else not recognised as either national dress or the dress of another country.
Traditional Japanese fashion represents a long-standing history of
traditional culture, encompassing colour palettes developed in the Heian
period, silhouettes adopted from Tang dynasty clothing and cultural
traditions, motifs taken from Japanese culture, nature and traditional
literature, and styles of wearing primarily fully-developed by the end of
the Edo period. The most well-known form of traditional Japanese fashion
is the kimono, translating literally as "something to wear" or "thing worn
on the shoulders". Other types of traditional fashion include the clothing
of the Ainu people (known as the attus) and the clothes of the Ryukyuan
people which is known as ryusou (琉装), most notably including the
traditional fabrics of bingata and bashōfu produced on the Ryukyu Islands.
Modern Japanese fashion mostly encompasses yōfuku (Western clothes),
though many well-known Japanese fashion designers - such as Issey
Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo - have taken inspiration
from and at times designed clothes taking influence from traditional
fashion. Their works represent a combined impact on the global fashion
industry, with many pieces displayed at fashion shows all over the world,
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as well as having had an impact within the Japanese fashion industry itself,
with many designers either drawing from or contributing to Japanese street
fashion.
Despite previous generations wearing traditional clothing near-entirely,
following the end of World War II, Western clothing and fashion became
increasingly popular due to their increasingly-available nature and, over
time, their cheaper price. It is now increasingly rare for someone to wear
traditional clothing as everyday clothes, and over time, traditional clothes
within Japan have garnered an association with being difficult to wear and
expensive. As such, traditional garments are now mainly worn for
ceremonies and special events, with the most common time for someone
to wear traditional clothes being to summer festivals, when the yukata is
most appropriate; outside of this, the main groups of people most likely to
wear traditional clothes are geisha, maiko and sumo wrestlers, all of whom
are required to wear traditional clothing in their profession.
8.1 Traditional clothing
Male kimono
The kimono (着物), labelled the "national costume of Japan", is the most
well-known form of traditional Japanese clothing. The kimono is worn
wrapped around the body, left side over right, and is sometimes worn
layered. It is always worn with an obi, and may be worn with a number of
traditional accessories and types of footwear. Kimono differ in
construction and wear between men and women.
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After the four-class system ended in the Tokugawa period (1603-1867),
the symbolic meaning of the kimono shifted from a reflection of social
class to a reflection of self, allowing people to incorporate their own tastes
and individualize their outfit. The process of wearing a kimono requires,
depending on gender and occasion, a sometimes-detailed knowledge of a
number of different steps and methods of tying the obi, with formal kimono
for women requiring at times the help of someone else to put on. Post-
WW2, kimono schools were built to teach those interested in kimono how
to wear it and tie a number of different knots.
A number of different types of kimono exist that are worn in the modern
day, with women having more varieties than men. Whereas men's kimono
differ in formality typically through fabric choice, the number of crests on
the garment (known as mon or kamon) and the accessories worn with it,
women's kimono differ in formality through fabric choice, decoration
style, construction and crests.
The word kimono literally translates as "thing to wear", and up until the
19th century it was the main form of dress worn by men and women alike
in Japan.
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The yukata (浴衣) is an informal kimono worn specifically in the spring
and summer, and it is generally less expensive than the traditional kimono.
Because it was made for warm weather, yukata are almost entirely made
of cotton of an often lighter weight and brighter color than most kimono
fabrics. It is worn for festivals and cherry blossom viewing ceremonies.
Yukatas
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Lolita fashion
Lolita fashion became popular in the mid 2000s. It is characterized by "a
knee length skirt or dress in a bell shape assisted by petticoats, worn with
a blouse, knee high socks or stockings and a headdress". Different sub-
styles of lolita
Gyaru fashion
include casual, gothic, and hime ("princess"). "Swallowtail butterfly"
(揚羽, Ageha) is based on a Shibuya club-hostess look, with dark, heavy
eyeliner, false eyelashes, and contact lenses that make the eyes appear
larger. The style is also characterized by lighter hair and sparkly
accessories. The kogal trend is found in both Shibuya and Harajuku, and
is influenced by a "schoolgirl" look, with participants often wearing short
skirts, oversized knee-high socks. It is also characterized by artificially
tanned skin or dark makeup, pale lipstick, and light hair.
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Schoolgirl fashion
9. PERFORMING ARTS
Japan’s history of performing arts is as diverse as its many islands, with
traditions that stretch back centuries. Lovers of theatre will marvel at the
ornate costumes, larger than life characters, physical precision, and stirring
musical scores. Japanese theatrical experiences are also lessons in history
and architecture, with many performing arts events occurring in purpose-
built theatres that have been used for centuries.
9.1 Kabuki
Kabuki is one of three major classical theatres of Japan, emerging in the
Edo Period and still performed to this day. Those seeking a colourful,
energetic example of Japanese theatre would enjoy this traditional art
form. Kabuki is not unlike a version of Japanese opera, in that everything
is very big, with highly exaggerated performers adorned in extravagant
costumes and makeup.
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The purpose-built Kabuki theatres are replete with trapdoors for surprise
appearances, and a catwalk that cuts a path through the audience so you
can see the ornate costumes up close. Like Western opera, Kabuki draws
on classic tales of love, intrigue, and betrayal to create their narratives, and
is performed in an older version of Japanese that even locals rarely
understand, but visitors can often hire headsets with an English
commentary so you can follow the story.
9.2 Noh
Noh was the first theatrical art in Japan, and one of the oldest surviving
theatrical forms in the world. Established in the 14th century, Noh draws
on classic myths and history to present meditative performances with a
slow, hypnotic rhythm.
Much of Noh concerns itself with dreams and the supernatural and as such
the performances are highly stylised, relying on masks and a deep, slow
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style of vocal delivery. Since the 14th century, all the performers in a Noh
company have been men.
9.3 Bunraku
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10. MODERN ART
10.1 Manga
Manga loosely refers to a style of cartoons originating in Japan. They
usually are published in installments, and depending on their form, can be
up to several hundred pages long. Many different genres are available, so
they are popular with people of all ages and backgrounds. Known for their
in-depth plots and characters, these well-respected works have been drawn
for hundreds of years, although the modern version developed starting in
the mid-20th century.
Berserk-Kentaro Miura
Manga is often published in magazines, which usually are no more than 40
pages long. Comic books usually are around 150 - 200 pages. Graphic
novels, which are different from regular comics and comic books in that
they give a complete story with a beginning, middle and end, can be several
hundred pages long. With the exceptions of this long form and collections
of previously published works, the comics are typically published serially
or in installments, because the intent of the publisher is to keep the reader
interested and coming back for the next piece of the story.
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Vagabond-Takehiko Inoue
Regardless of length, manga typically keeps the traditional flow of the
Japanese language, meaning it is read from top to bottom and right to left.
To an English reader, this seems “backward,” as it requires starting from
the back of the work. Some publishers use a practice called flipping to put
the story into a format that is more familiar to non-Japanese fans for sales
overseas.
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Attack on titan-Hajime Isayama
Publishers and general readers usually divide manga into several different
groups. Shōujo (“young girl”) is directed at females up to age 18 and
usually has some romantic ideas, and shōnen (“boy”) is the male
equivalent, typically having a more action- or sports-based concept. Works
for young children, especially those who are just getting started reading,
are called kodomo (“child”). Publications for women are josei (“woman,”
“feminine”), and men read seinen (“man,” “masculine”). Many of the
stories for adults are not appropriate for children because of showing
violence. In fact, an entire subgroup, hentai (“perverted”), revolves around
erotic themes.
10.2 Anime
The term anime is a Japanese colloquialism used as an abbreviation for the
term “animation.” Generally, in Japan, the word anime (written アニメ) is
synonymous with animation of any kind from anywhere. Internationally,
however, anime is typically referred to as animation that is produced from
Japan. The distinction between anime and cartoons is more cultural than it
is technical and its origins date over 100 years ago.
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Weathering with you-Makoto Shinkai
Anime itself dates back over a hundred years. The first confirmed example
was produced in 1917 titled Namakura Gatana with a run time of only four
minutes. Over time, it has had its highs and lows facing various obstacles
both within Japan and internationally.
This video by Screen Rant summarizes the history of anime and how it
evolved from its 1917 origins to the animation styles we see today.
Anime is no different technically to the animation productions of Western
culture. Which, if you know anything about, takes an incredible amount of
time and work. Stories must be written, storyboarded, workshopped, taken
into an animatic, voiced, and animated.
This is a process that can take months and often years to finish. All of these
projects are created from an entire studio of artists typically led by a
director. This video covers the workflows from various animation studios
and just how intensive it is to create animated work.
11. CONCLUSION
I have decided to write about this topic because I have been fascinated and
intrigued by the Japanese culture for the longest time. It has always been
interesting to me and I cannot wait to study it further and more thoroughly.I
picked art since it is fun to write and talk about, especially when it is as
unique beautiful as this one. I hope you will find it as interesting as I did.
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LITERATURE
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