1989: Monogatari

August 1989
Kyoto

Dear Friends:

The return to Japan has been stimulating, as always, and especially busy with a start on my new work, visitors from the US and Japan and a move to a new house in the suburbs. The latter has been a major event in my life here and has given me more than twice the space I had in my previous house. I was very attached to my old neighborhood with its temples, shops, and public bath, but with the costs continuing to rise and inadequate space for my studio work I decided it was time to leave.

The new house (about five years old) is located in a community on the private Hankyu train line to Osaka and provides convenient service to Kyoto too. The house is set among rice paddies and bamboo forests with a five-minute walk to the bus stop. The area is famous for its takenoko (bamboo shoots) that are harvested in the early spring. I have a park across the street and a wonderful view of rice paddies and gardens to the east out my back window. The interior space consists of a 6 tatami mat room and a large 20 mat space plus kitchen downstairs and 3 rooms upstairs, one of which is exclusively for a studio. The owners are living in Atlanta for another year, so I can settle down for a while.

This year in Japan began, as usual, with an initial stay in Tokyo. That provides me with a chance to see friends there, visit the museums and galleries, and observe the latest in Tokyo lifestyles. Hisako Sekijima, a well known basketry artist, Ban Kajitani, a ceramic artist who lives in Columbus, Ohio, and Donna Horie, a fiber artist from Raleigh, NC, were all having solo shows the week I was there. The Azabu Museum of Arts and Crafts opened in Roppongi, not far from International House where I was staying, with a show of ukiyoe illustrating costume of the Edo Period. It was also the grand opening of “Heineken Village”, a complex of old buildings converted into various exhibition spaces, an outdoor cafe and bar (serving Heineken, of course). The opening shows were a survey of Japanese contemporary art and a group show of prints. The opening was a mob scene on a wet night in rainy season but lively and stimulating.

While in Tokyo I continued my search for kimono and textiles for the study collection at UGA. I have concentrated on indigo shibori dyed cotton kimono and clamp resist (itajime) dyed (red and white) silk under-kimono (juban) in recent years. Shibori examples that would expand the collection are hard to find but the juban are still available, although the prices are going up each year. I was able to acquire good examples in the shops and at a major antique fair that is held every year in June.

I spent time again this year with Hidekata Ando who is now a third-year student at Keio University concentrating on SE Asian studies (he is visiting Thailand and Indonesia now). He invited me to attend an event sponsored by Keio with other major Tokyo private universities participating titled “Brand New Discussions ‘89” focusing on the popular theme of internationalization in Japan. There were about 150 participants divided into small discussion groups of 10 or 12. All proceedings were conducted in English and many interesting points were raised. I tried to imagine such an event on a campus in the US, other than among foreign language students, and decided the chances were slim indeed. It was a rewarding experience to be with this generation of students who are trying so hard to be an active part of the international community. The formal event was followed by a dinner party and a second party where I had an opportunity to talk with many of the students. The day and evening were special experiences for me.

I was in my old house for about one month before I moved. I was able to complete my sketches/layouts for my new work during that period. It was a busy time sorting through many photos, endless trips to the local bookstore with its super copy machine, manipulating images and making decisions. I managed to complete the layouts for 6 panels (12″ x 160″) documenting my experiences, travels, locales in November of last year — monogatari — “November Tale”. I have been able to work on some of the next steps in the meantime including making photo positives. ordering new screen frames and other materials, but much remains to be done in September and October.

Page and Jeanne, my son and his wife, arrived on July 29 just after Page finished his California Bar Exam in San Jose. Page was quite ready to relax and Jeanne eager to begin research on her dissertation topic, but with time out to explore Kyoto one again. I was settled into the new house when they arrived, and we really enjoyed the larger space. We have done some touring together in Kyoto. sweltering in typical summer heat. And they have gone off on their own on various excursions. It has been a chance for me to visit old favorite places long neglected as a resident and see some new spots as well.

I had many parties for them so they could meet old friends and meet my newer friends too. Several of their colleagues from Cornell were back in Japan and we got together with them on several occasions. Masaki Sato, the first Japanese student who stayed in my Athens house, his wife. Kay. and daughter Saki were here for a day of touring and dinner together.

Jeanne made contact with libraries and a professor here for her research on an ethnic Korean (zainichi) who has lived in Japan and written extensively in Japanese. although little known outside of zainichi scholarship. She has had success so far in locating periodicals that are not available in the US and has been bust copying them. Page and Jeanne are now off on a week’s trip to Shikoku Island and Kyushu. We will rendezvous in Tokyo on August 28 for the opening of my solo show at Wacoal Ginza Art Space.

I will be showing my 6 large panels from 1987. that were sponsored by the Juraku Co. in Kyoto for the International Textile Fair, and the 15 horizontal panels I completed last year. It will be interesting to see the two series together. There will be a number of other exhibitions going on during the week I’m in Tokyo which will make for a lively and busy schedule.

I will return to Kyoto for a few days in early September and then join Page and Jeanne in Seoul where they will be spending September with Jeanne’s family, touring and continuing with her research. I look forward to my first visit to Korea with Jeanne as my guide and meeting artists when I give a lecture there on my work.

The balance of the fall will be very busy as I complete my new work for the show here at GalleryGallery in November. There are many new challenges to master in this series which will be pigment printed on old obi fabric instead of the metal leaf on hand woven panels that I have worked with since 1984.

Special greetings from Japan where (hopefully) the heat of the summer, punctuated by the call of thecicadas, will soon be transformed into the magnificence of fall.

Best Wishes,

Glen Kaufman
c/o Kamei 12-12 Kawamukai Shimokaiinji Nagaokakyo City Kyoto 617