This week’s evening session members will be enjoying a short slide presentation on Japanese art and Impressionism by member Laureen who has enjoyed visiting that country and culture. Following the presentation and discussion members can choose to create their own piece of artwork in a pop art style using one of the examples Laureen will have shared with us all as inspiration. Or members can continue with their own artwork – one or two might be finishing off paintings for our 2018 Stockport Art Trail which commences on 23 June 2018. The image shown at the top of this blog is called ” Dolls Festival” by Ushio Shinohara.
UPDATE: Below is one of the books Laureen brought along for members to look at as well as a range of art postcards. Member Molly choose to paint a copy of one after the presentation and her copy is on the right. Molly is one of our younger members and is currently studying GCSE Art. All members enjoyed learning a little about this topic and the artistic influences that were exchanged between Europe and Japan.
Some of Vincent Van Gogh’s work was inspired by Japanese artists and woodcuts. Quote ” It was the Ukiyo-e artists’ ability to relate to their subject matter not only decoratively but with such feeling that appealed so strongly to painters, none more than Van Gogh. He longed for an unsophisticated art which would appeal to people from all walks of life, perhaps the closest ideal to that of the Japanese Ukiyo-e artists.
In 1888 Van Gogh wrote: ‘I envy the Japanese, the extreme clearness which everything has in their work. It is never wearisome and never seems to be done too hurriedly. Their work is as simple as breathing, and they do a figure in a few strokes with the same ease as if it were as simple as buttoning your waistcoat.” Read more about Van Gogh’s Japanese influenced artworks in this article on the Van Gogh Museum website.