Sarusawa+Pond

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/citi/images/standard/WebMedium/WebImg_000070/111599_602669.jpg

Title: Sarusawa Pond Artist: Unichi Hiratsuka Date: 1960 Size: 61.3 x 44.7 cm. Country of Origin: Japan Culture: Japanese Medium: Black Ink Current Location: The Art Institute of Chicago

This entry discusses a wood block print of Sarusawa Pond showing the reflection of the Kofukuji temple's multiple story pagoda reaching over the foliage in the water by Unichi Hiratsuka (dates). Everything in this painting (print) has the flat appearance of a traditional Japanese print. As captured in this landscape, the reflection of the five story pagoda on the Saruwasa Pond is one of the eight sights to see in Nara, Japan.
 * Introduction**


 * Descriptive Analysis**

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Depicted here is a wood block print done in the Sosaku hanga style (give a link for more info or provide a citation) by Unichi Hiratsuka in 1960. Done as a wood block print, the artist would have carved the image into a block of wood, covered certain parts with ink and pressed it to paper to create the image. With a size of 61.3 x 44.7 cm. the artwork has the shape of a rectangle going vertically seemingly upside down. The images depicted in the print is a reflection of the Kofukuji temple and the surrounding foliage in the Sarusawa pond. the shading is done with darker more solid black coloring to distinguish darker shades with that which is lighter in the print. Showing the new stylistic Sosaku hanga print type, it keeps to traditional Japanese art, which is seen as flat or two-dimensional shapes and forms.======

Every element in this wood carving was given some sort of textural addition to it. The temple, trees, wall just above where the land starts from the pond, and even the water, is all given a show of textural design. For the water, slight waves are apparent to show the viewer of this artwork, this is water. But, at the same time, these waves show a calmness to them. All with just black ink on wood then pressed onto paper as a medium, the deeper the carvings were made in the wood, the lighter the shade appears when the wood block is lifted from the paper to show a three-dimensional world but still retaining that Japanese style of two-dimensional representation.

Done as a contemporary modern piece of art, this artist used a certain style of wood bock painting, Sosaku hanga. This style of wood block painting was introduced around the early 1900s and was finally accepted as a legible style by mainstream art in 1935 (source). Unichi Hiratsuka himself was a leading member of the artists who paved the way with Sosaku hanga and taught art classes in it from 1935 till 1944 at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Sosaku hanga was the new creative movement of the 20th century. This particular style stresses the expression of the self or desire of the self in the art. Opposed by the other movement of Shin hanga, creating art for arts sake, Sosaku hanga is that division between labor and self-interest. This wood block was done two years prior to Hiratsuka's 30 year stay in the U.S. where he was commissioned by three standing presidents to carve wood block prints of National Landmarks. With this wood block carving being done in 1960, it was post-WWII. At this time Hiratsuka almost worked exclusively with black and white inked prints.
 * Formal and Contextual Analysis**

The temple shown in this upside-down landscape is the Kofuku-ji temple and its five-story pagoda. The Kofuku temple was built in the year 669 by Kamatari Fujiwara's wife as a way to pray for her husbands good health (source). The Fujiwara family was one of the wealthiest families in all of Japan. Because of the Fujiwara's tendency to marry in their daughters into the royal family, the Kofukuji temple received imperial support which allowed it to become one of the richest and most powerful temples in Japan at one time. The pond itself also has a history.It is part of a Buddhist ceremony to release fish into the water and also there is a festival that is held here as well. The Uneme Festival takes place to appease the soul of a lady from the court who was heart broken and threw herself into the pond-Source?

Since the Sosaku hanga movement is all about the expression of the self or of self desire through art, it enchants a certain curiosity about this wood block painting. It is painted in such a naturalist way, but as a reflections in the water the world appears upside down. Perhaps Unichi Hiratsuka wanted to show the world upside down but in a very accepted naturalistic way. The details of the foliage and temple are also all very vivid. It is very clear to see what someone is looking at when seeing this picture if not somewhat more darkened and heavy compared to the small glimpse a viewer of this wood block print see of everything above the surface of the water. So if the scene is so visible and calm when looked at upside down, what is he seeing right-side-up? Perhaps a different scene is evident to him, one of chaos, and he wished to show what it could be like if turned upside down on it's head. Of course, it is also very possible, that Hiratsuka merely saw true beauty in the reflection of the Kofukuji temple on the Saruwasa pond.
 * Personal Interpretation**


 * References**

---, By Prefectures. "Nara Sightseeing Spots and Map." // InfomapJAPAN Free Travel Guide Book of Japan - Travel Information and Maps - //. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. .Provides insight into the Sarusawa Pond and Kofukuji temple as well as their location. 1950, By. "Sōsaku Hanga." // Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia //. 3 Dec. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. .Gives information and history of the Sosaku Hanga style of wood block ink art.  "About This Artwork." // The Art Institute of Chicago //. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. .Basic artwork information. Artist name, type of art, and size of art. "Unichi Hiratsuka, Sosaku-Hanga Master." // Unichi Hiratsuka, Sosaku-Hanga Master - Home //. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. .Information given about the artist and his family history supposedly from his grandchildren.   **<span style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;">Supporting Images ** <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;"> <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;">http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/citi/images/standard/WebMedium/WebImg_000059/102770_536654.jpg <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;"> <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;">Title: Approach to Jakko-in Temple in Ohara, Kyoto. <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;">Date: 1960 <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;">This is another woodblock print done by Unichi Hiratsuka. This is an example of another one of his woodblock prints done in the same year. It shows a motif of texture really shown in the landscapes as well as his preference of black and white colored prints. <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-indent: -3em;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;">"About This Artwork." // The Art Institute of Chicago //. 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. <http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/184568?search_id=68>.<span style="display: inline; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;">Another work of art done by the artist Unichi Hiratsuka to show similarities and motifs in the artists pieces of art.