Saturday, December 28, 2013

Black Bull


Japanese art from the Clark Collections, now on exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts is called The Audacious Eye.

Mochizuki Gyokusen’s almost life-size “Black Bull, ” a 19th-century screen painting, is an idiosyncratic choice­ — a fierce, muscular beast that looks ready to charge out of a modern stockade.


Bill and Libby Clark amassed one of the world’s finest collections of Japanese art according to their own finely honed interests, instincts, and idiosyncrasies. Not trends. Not markets. Not a particular time, place, or medium. They collected what they liked—what drew their audacious eyes.
This exhibition hints at the stunning variety and bold taste that accorded the Clarks’ endeavor, begun in the late 1970s, a kind of legendary status. Tucked in the agricultural valley of central California, their collections grew from frequent trips to Japan, stoking their enthusiasm for Japanese aesthetics—their home is a blend of Japanese and California Arts and Crafts styles. The collections’ 1,700 objects now range across 10 centuries and from paintings to sculpture, ceramics to textiles, woodblock prints to bamboo baskets. They include important examples from every school of painting in Japan since the 16th century and from some of its most acclaimed living artists, including 80 pieces by ceramist Fukami Sueharu—the largest assembly of his sleek bluish-white porcelain in the world.
The January theme for City Daily Photo bloggers is "Photo of the Year."

16 comments:

  1. What an interesting and educational read!! The art is super also!!

    Just popping in to wish you the best in 2014!!

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  2. Wonderful Japanese paintings on both posts, Kate.

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  3. I don't usually associate bulls with Japan. I do feel the power of the beast in this photo, though.

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    1. After reading some of the exhibition material, my understanding is that the artists were heavily influenced by Chinese art. In the Chinese zodiak, the oxen figures prominently; the Japanese used the figure of a bull instead.

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  4. Now that is a truly "strong" image, in every sense, that is! ;-)

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  5. It's a beautiful piece. I love that touch of blue.

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  6. Scary. Though I did cross path with a few cutting across pastures to a local trout stream in Bluff Country. I MIA is indeed a gem in St. Paul's neighbor city....:)

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  7. Reading more about this couple (now in their 80's) their collection will now be part of your museum...but they have so many items (as you stated) that they will be able to keep there Cailfornia center open too. What interesting people....I like the bull....but would not want to hold onto that rope!

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  8. Beautiful! I've loved the screen paintings I've seen and this one is full of life and motion. What a great collection to have in your community!

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  9. Very nice! We ran into two black bulls the other day while out riding bikes. I'll post a pic of them soon. They didn't look as fierce as this one, though. And they were in a fenced pasture.

    Re your comment on Kay's blog: I thought you'd quit celebrating birthdays, even if it meant a free ferry ride! :)

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  10. I admire the reason for their choices! Collected what they liked!

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  11. Such life and movement! But I don't like the look in his eye ...

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  12. This is superb, mainly because of how much information it conveys with so few details.

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  13. Very striking details in this piece, Kate.

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