Arts & Ideas Free Thinking - Japan and Korea. Hokusai
May 24, 2017
Tim Clark, curator at the British Museum, dives into Hokusai's revolutionary woodblock prints that captivated Edo's urban audience. He discusses the spiritual significance of Mount Fuji in Hokusai's work and his quest for immortality through art. Angus Lockyer, an expert in Japanese history, reflects on how Hokusai shapes Japan's national identity and artistic canon. Meanwhile, Charlotte Horlyck explores Korea's search for unique identity in art, highlighting the Dansaekhwa movement and the historical complexities of cultural representation.
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A Pre-Modern Global Artist
- Hokusai's breadth of styles and global outlook make him a prototype global artist.
- He worked for international patrons like the Dutch East India Company while based in Edo.
Icon Status Is Cross-Cultural
- Western reception helped elevate Hokusai into a national icon in Japan over time.
- Different cultures latched onto different images: the West loved the Great Wave; Japan privileged Mount Fuji.
Canons Are Constructed, Not Found
- Modern Japan's art canon was actively crafted by elites and foreign advisors rather than emerging organically.
- Officials weeded and rebranded traditions to present a coherent national artistic story to the world.
