"Inside the Floating World: Japanese Prints from the Lenoir C. Wright Collection" is an exhibition of Ukiyo-e or floating world pictures, 60 woodblock prints from the early 18th century through the late 19th century. They provide a unique glimpse of the life and art of Japan during that period. Organized by the Weatherspoon Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the show will open on Thursday, Sept. 23, and will close on Sunday, Jan. 2, and is free and open to the public.
The floating world pictures originated in Edo, a bustling metropolis whose population topped one million in the early 1700s. Edo's vibrant urban culture became the inspiration for a new form of artistic expression that became known as ukiyo-e, or the floating world. This term referred to the escapist lifestyle and ephemeral pleasures offered in Edo's kabuki theaters and the Yoshiwara, a licensed brothel district on the northern outskirts of the city. With star actors and glamorous courtesans as their primary subjects, ukiyo-e artists conveyed the intricate nuances of the floating world to an appreciative and diverse clientele. Being especially attuned to popular pastimes and pursuits, they also exploited the public's love of travel and its fascination with samurai history.
By the early 19th century, the repertoire of floating world images included landscapes and warrior prints. as well as illustrated books and prints for children. Ukiyo-e artists preferred the woodblock print medium because it was flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of artistic expression. These prints carried Edo's urban culture and the floating world's unique sensibilities far beyond their origins in the entertainment districts.
The opening reception will be held in the gallery on Thursday, Sept. 23, 4 - 6 p.m., and will feature Masayo Ishigure, virtuoso and instructor at the Sawai Koto Academy in New York City, performing on the koto, a string instrument from 17th-century Japan.
Other special events, free and open to the public, associated with this show include:
Thursday, October 7, 4:30 p.m., first floor auditorium, Saunders Hall of Chemistry
Art of the Japanese Tea Ceremony - Steve Goldberg, Hamilton Associate Professor of Art History will explain the elegant custom involving the ceremonial preparation of tea.
Friday, October 8, Friday 4-5 p.m., Emerson Gallery
Tea Ceremony - Hiroko Seno will perform a tea ceremony. Tea and traditional Japanese sweets will be provided immediately following the presentation.
Thursday, October 14, 4:30 p.m., first floor auditorium, Saunders Hall of Chemistry
Allen Hockley, Associate Professor of Art History at Dartmouth College and exhibition curator, will give a slide lecture introducing the Floating World. A reception will follow immediately in the Emerson Gallery.
Thursday, October 21, 4:30 p.m., first floor auditorium, Saunders Hall of Chemistry
"Utamaro and His 5 Women," a film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi (1946) will be screened (Japanese with English subtitles). The film presents a dramatized story of real life 18th-century printmaker Kitagawa Utamaro and his relationship with the women who inspired his art. Several of Utamaro's prints are included in the exhibition.
Thursday, October 28, 7 p.m., Kirkland Art Center, East Park Row, Clinton
Art in an Age of Mechanical Reproduction: Ukiyou-e and Pop Art -
Steve Goldberg, Hamilton Associate Professor of Art History, will explore the affinities between the Japanese art of woodblock prints and American Pop Art and the influence of their respective contemporary cultures on materials and techniques, aesthetics, and subject matter.
Friday, October 29, Friday 3-4 p.m. Emerson Gallery
Steve Goldberg, Hamilton Associate Professor of Art History will conduct an informal guided tour of the exhibition.
Saturday, October 30, Saturday 2-4 p.m. - Emerson Gallery
Origami Demonstration and workshop. The ancient art of paper-folding will be demonstrated by Sachiyo Uchida, who teaches origami in local schools. Material will be provided for hands-on participation. Reservations are requested. Please call 859-4396.
Thursday, November 4, 4:30 p.m., first floor auditorium, Saunders Hall of Chemistry - Japonisme and Impressionism - Colta Ives, Metropolitan Museum of Art Curator of Drawings and Prints, will discuss how European art and design of the 19th century were strongly influenced by Japanese culture. The art of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists Manet, Degas, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Bonnard, Vuillard, Toulouse-Lautrec and the American ex-patriots Cassatt and Whistler will be discussed. A reception will follow immediately in the Emerson Gallery.
All events are free and open to the public. Docent led tours are available by reservation. The Emerson Gallery is located on the Hamilton College campus in Clinton, New York, in the Christian A. Johnson Hall, directly behind the Chapel. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday & Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. For further information, including information on parking and wheelchair accessibility, please contact the Emerson Gallery at 315-859-4396.
