This is a jaw dropping exhibition at the San Francisco Legion of Honor. It's not just the opulence, but also the sheer gorgeousness. "Japan"jumps out when you least expect it. Not literally, but but in the underlying aesthetic values of some of the best pieces. My favorite: a large chignon comb of horn. The tines transformed into the tails of two cavorting swallows, one of which carried in its bill a sprig--in reality, a single, gold wire sprouting tiny leaves of diamonds. The principles inspired by Japan: Plain surfaces, combining of opulent and ordinary materials, beautiful textures, subtle colors, asymmetry, drama, and closely-observed naturalism cleverly adapted to functional shapes. Here's the exhibition:
http://www.famsf.org/legion/index.asp
I was invited to speak for this show on Tiffany and the Art of Japan. After I saw it, I changed my whole plan because Tiffany is just one side of the subject that you see here, and not even the best. Don't have a title yet, and they took the old one off the schedule. Will post it soon!
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About Me
- Hannah
- San Francisco Bay Area, United States
- At San Francisco State University, University of California, Davis, and the University of California, Berkeley Extension, I teach the Arts of Asia, and also Japanese influences in Western decorative arts. I'm fascinated by how the intersection of cultures impacts design, and how changes in design both reflect and impel a society's ideals and vision of itself.
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I just got the flyer for the "Lux at the Legion" event in the mail. They have you listed in the Florence Gould Theatre (at the Legion) doing the lecture "Crazy for Japan" from 3-4 pm on Sat. 3/28. This is part of an all day event that includes jazz, artist demos,film projections in the galleries and docent tours.
ReplyDeleteI've asked them to change the title of the lecture, as the way they've described it there's no connection between the lecture and the exhibition. They agreed, but it was too late to stop that flyer. Meanwhile, they've taken that title off the online schedule. Not sure where the changes are in the pipeline.
ReplyDeleteOur mutual friend Laurel K. alerted me to your book and blog. Both are beautiful, and I look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteHow nice to meet you, and how wonderful that Laurel is sharing. Please tell me more about yourself.
ReplyDeleteI don't write about tea taste per se in this book, but I do talk about Okakura Kakuzo, who published the Book of Tea, which was the introduction for most Americans to tea-related aesthetics, and was very influential in Arts & Crafts architecture and design.