Exhibition explores the creative expression seen in Meiji-era prints
Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915), Night Patrol in the Snow near Niu-chuang, 1894, woodblock printed triptych 14 1/8 by 27 5/8 in., 35.8 by 70.3 cm.
NEW YORK, NY
.-Scholten Japanese Art is presenting, On The Vanguard: Meiji Period Woodblock Prints, a two-part exhibition, with thirty prints in each section, exploring the creative expression seen in Meiji-era prints and the acceptance of new cultural ideas in the Japanese populace at large during this dynamic period in the late 19th and early 20th century. Delineated by the reign of Emperor Meiji (1852-1912; reign 1868-1912), it was an era of rapid modernization as Japan remade itself as a nation, both figuratively, as it transformed from a feudal society based on samurai culture. Drawing on Western models, the old social classes were abolished, the army was reformed, a navy was created, and industries adopted emerging modern technologies. In the artistic community, the traditional master-student system began to be undermined by newly established Western-style art schools, and the introduction of foreign techniques for print production and photography was nearly ruinous to the once vibrant woodblock print industry. The prints in this show look at how artists recorded and responded to the introduction of foreign elements. Many print designs explored and celebrated Western influence, particularly with the first blush of the new era. But artists also responded to the markets tendency towards nostalgia, resisting the march toward modernity. Ultimately, the artists who prevailed were those that were on the vanguardleading the wayby embracing, a changing world while adapting and balancing societys intermittent longing for Old Japan.