Writing Japanese Art History since 2000 (introduction)
Chisai Fujita is researcher of contemporary Asian art. Chisai decides to write art histories about several Asian countries and regions since 2000. Today, she starts to write Japanese art history!
Hi there, I am Chisai Fujita 藤田千彩, based on Kyoto, Japan, writing worker and researcher of contemporary Asian art. Recently I have noticed that neighboring Asian countries and regions have published art history books that they wrote by themselves since 2000. However, in Japan where I am based, there are almost no books about Japanese art history after 2000. So, I decided, "well, I will write it".
The history of Japanese art to date
Please refer to these websites.
・Wikipedia, “Japanese art”
・Britannica, "Japanese art"
・Open Culture, “A Brief History of Japanese Art: From Prehistoric Pottery to Yayoi Kusama in Half an Hour”
Difference in thinking between Japan and neighboring Asian countries
・English "contemporary art" translates to Japanese "Gendai Bijutsu (現代美術)".
・Japanese "Gendai Bijutsu (現代美術)" refers to "from 1945 to now".
・Neighboring countries China and South Korea also have same Chinese characters "現代美術". But they refer to "before 2000 (not modern)".
・You know, the sculpture of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery has been canceled at the Aichi Triennale in 2019. In this way, Japanese exhibitions cannot exhibit artworks with social or political issues. Because Japanese art museums are public and many curators are civil servants working there.
・That's why Japanese artists and curators are still particular about color, shape, materials and techniques. (I am tired of their opinions).
・Like this, Japanese art has not been new in terms of words and ideas since 2000. In particular, there is no change or difference between the 2000s and 2010s. Japanese people don't seem to realize this.
Purpose of Chisai on this substack
(1) Consider "Japanese art" from 2000 onwards
・Consider while looking at actual artworks
・Verify while looking at actual documents (exhibition catalogues, magazines, etc.)
・Check again while looking at the website "PEELER" where Chisai was the editor-in-chief
(2) Think about what is "Japanese" art
・Because the history of Japanese art up to 2000 was centered in Tokyo, there are few about Kyoto, Osaka and other cities
・Because it is natural to cross national borders at artist-in-residence and art fairs since 2000
I have to examine the differences between the 2000s and 2010s in Japan. To do this, I will write about Japanese art history as well as Chinese, Korean and Taiwanese art history. Perhaps I need to write objectively, relatively, and collectively about the history of Asian art after 1900. (Wait please!)
Next time, let's look at the works of art from 1995 and think about Japanese art!