Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

  The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts is featuring a show called Edo Pop “Edo Pop: The Graphic Impact of Japanese Prints” which begins tomorrow, the 30th and continues through January 8th, 2012. The show features 160 images from the masters including some remixes including Yoshitomo Nara’s piece above. The collection is from donors and is part of a 3000 print collection. It sounds like a lot, but other museums have tens of thousands. The curator, Matthew Welch dropped some words for (salon.com – Edopop) He explains Ukiyo-e, which is what these prints are. “There was a novelist in Japan called Asai Ryoi, and he published a book in 1661 called the “Ukiyo monogatari,” or “Tales of the Floating World.” His use of “ukiyo” in the title was a wordplay.”
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Shintaro Ohata graces the cover of Giant Robot 65. The interview was conducted at Yukari Art who’s putting on another exhibition of his work. His paintings are comprised of great paint strokes, and he depicts Tokyo just as I’ve seen it and felt it many times. He actually captures one of the exact reasons why I love being there. I haven’t tried to spell it out, but his works might be one of the best explanations. I’d like to chill out on a rail overlooking the town with my cat. He mostly depicts females, so I guess I’ll never be a subject of his work. You probably thought this was a painting, but it’s actually a sculpture in front of a painting. ’2′ mixed media H91xW116.7xD35cm Ohata has multiple styles, from the sculptural painting, to the piece above which has elements of reality. He captures the best parts of the day in every painting. What is she feeling and thinking exactly? I can guess. I feel this too. Can you? (Tomorrow – acrylic on canvas 91×116.7cm) Then he has this style, which includes a slightly cartoonish character. The sunspots make this cool. (‘Stopover’acrylic on canvas 80.5×116.5cm) That’s myself and Shintaro Ohata.
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GR: What did you think when you first saw Jakuchu’s work?

JP: I had no idea who the artist was. I haven’t heard about Japanese art, let alone know the artists. I could see in this painting the essense of nature, the feeling of nature was captured by getting rid of everything in the actual world of a grapevine that wasn’t necessary, leaving only the essence. If you look at the painting, a grape vine doesn’t look like that. It’s only the feeling of a grapevine that comes through it’s beauty. Any artist who can take nature and make it more beautiful that’s what I fell in love with. I like to have it on exhibit in different places, I want other people a chance to see this same beauty that I see.

GR: Are you still adding to your collection?

JP: I don’t room anymore. I’ve got too much now. I want it to be seen and get it out.

 

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