1987: Suzumushi

26 Daitokuji-cho
Murasakino, Kita-Ku
Kyoto 603, JAPAN

October 1, 1987

Dear Friends:

Fall came reluctantly and slowly to Kyoto this year. The summer heat lingered much too long, but now, with some typhoon-spawned rains and cool winds, one can believe in the other signs that have appeared within the last weeks — the crisp and juicy nashi (Japanese pear) that ought to be an export item but is not, the matsutake (red pine mushrooms) with their woodsy fragrance and high prices ($7 each), and in the countryside the paddies with the ripening rice and masses of fall-blooming, deep coral lilies. These signs are always well documented in the media beginning in August as the Japanese have a passion for the change of seasons, even when everyone knows it is still hot summertime. “Ah yes, but fall will be coming …” and finally, it has.

Fall also brought the beginning of my exhibition season when the first solo show opened at the Wacoal Ginza Art Space the last day of August. This provided me an opportunity to spend a week in Tokyo indulging in big city culture and sights. I caught the Mondrian show traveling around Japan on its last day at the Seibu Museum and I was especially impressed with one gallery of pictures from ca. 1908 with heavy pigment and strong color including “Windmill in Sunlight”. The evolving tree series was also a delight to see first-hand. Other shows of Western Art traveling in Japan that I have seen: Kandinsky (many works — impressive), Swedish Textile Art (a narrow focus on studio woven tapestries — dull), Jonathan Borowsky (overblown arrogance — ho hum) Actually, his incoherent chattering mechanical men inside and flock of crows outside were worth the visit.

More exciting for me was the work of Japanese artists of great diversity and impact. Tamako Takaoka, a painter now in her 80s, had a retrospective show of mostly large works in the Nihon-ga media (earth pigments). The subjects were mostly literary, historic figures or artists. She uses exaggeration in depicting faces and hands as well in the many textile patterns that dominate the works. These patterns are built up in many layers of paint and have an authentic look, but I suspect they are her own mix of traditional-looking motifs. Takaoka is a dynamic pattern painter. A show of the work of “Ekin” (Kinzo Hirose), a painter of the late Edo period has another kind of impact, although his textile patterns also dominate the works. The subjects are from traditional legends and literature with violent themes — children being snatched away from grieving mothers, violent murder or battle scenes. Not joyful subject matter, but impressive for its great energy and drama …. and given great richness by the bold color and pattern of the textiles of the kimono.

Exhibitions of contemporary fiber art included a group show curated by Kiyoji Tsuji (of Gallery Maronie) at Wacoal Spiral in Tokyo with a focus on constructed works which complemented a show he did last year at Spiral with an emphasis on the use of fabric and thread as primary aspect. Solo shows by Jun Tomita (kasuri), Jun Mitsuhashi (dimensional works using dyed and natural cotton fabric), Korean Chung Kyung-Youn (wall reliefs of gradation dyed and stuffed gloves), Americans Marvin Lipofsky (glass works done in Japan), Curt and Suzan Benzlé (patterned porcelain) and Beth Forer (black and white nerikomi vessels) have provided a constantly changing scene through the summer and early fall.

In the intense heat of the summer my local supermarket was selling cages of suzumushi (crickets), and I decided that was what I needed to get through the ordeal. The chirping of crickets in summer stirs the heart of every Japanese and I thought it was time to find out what it was all about. The care and feeding were not a simple matter, but I did enjoy the nighttime sounds in the house. They were faithful to tradition even for a foreigner. After a week one succumbed and then another and I decided it was time to give them freedom in my garden. They sang for a while, but I fear my resident skink had a summer feast. In addition to the latter, who stays in the garden, I have an unknown number of mice who scamper between floors or in the attic most nights. On occasion they venture into the kitchen for a snack or to nibble on the soap. Attempts to rid the house of them have failed.

Japanglish (“English as she is Japped” coined by a longtime resident here) is always a source of amusement. “I feel Coke”, which puzzles me but perhaps not other English speakers who are tuned into that beverage, is all over Japan. “For you beautiful sweat” was seen on a bath towel and a friend, a few years ago, saw on a well-dressed matron’s chic shoulder bag, “Armpit Pal”. This year my neighborhood bakery has a classic on all its bags, “As you, who lives everyday vividly like a new air of a new epock. On your everytime of rest. Let us stay by you. We MONTE YAMAZAKI would like to help make atmos-phere. But you enjoy yourself. And we hope to be properly a calmness and gratified time for you.” (sic) I am deeply touched by this sentiment from my local baker. This is what the Japanese need to export more of.

The cost of living in Japan this year is higher because of the exchange rate, but I have always had the vague feeling (sometimes not so vague) that living costs are generally higher. Finally, a study on the buying power of blue collar workers sheds some light on the subject. US workers can buy 2 lbs of beef by working for 16 minutes while the Japanese has to work for 2 hrs and 26 min. (That’s why I seldom eat beef.) For 2 lbs of fish in the US it’s 26 min while in Japan it’s 2 hrs 47 min, for a 20″ color TV — US 39 hrs, Japan 97 hrs. A car was the only item in the study that required less hours of work in Japan — 612 vs 963 in the US. (This news was no help to me as a car is the last thing I want in Japan.)

In addition to the solo show in Tokyo, I have just returned from the opening of my show at the American Center in Fukuoka, Kyushu. While there I was able to get some feeling for the area with a long hike on one of the islands in the bay and visit with several ceramic artists who live in the area. I also gave a lecture on the American Craft Museum’s “Craft Today” exhibition which brought forth some interesting intercultural questions and discussion. While in Fukuoka I stayed in Takeshi Asai’s apartment, while he was in Tokyo on an IBM training program. In October my show will be at Gallery La Pola in Osaka for 2 weeks and then go to Sapporo in November. The Fukuoka and Sapporo exhibitions and lectures were arranged by the USIA office at the Embassy in Tokyo.

Visitors passing in and out of Kyoto this year have included: Shigeko Spear (Texas) who had solo shows in Tokyo and Kyoto of her new paper/silk/print works, Lia Cook (and family) and Bernard Kester both here to Jury the International Textile Fair competition in July and again in October, Curt and Suzan Benzlé (Ohio), Beth Forer (NYC) mentioned earlier and Tandy Beal and her dance company from the Bay Area for performances around Japan. Later this month MO and Gregg Phelps will be here with a tour group from Athens and other friends will be coming for the I.T.F. in November. The interesting people always come to Kyoto.

My own involvement with I.T.F. has consumed a good deal of my studio time this year. I’m one of 10 foreign artists invited to work with a Kyoto weaving or dyeing company to produce a work for exhibit. I’m working with the Juraku Co. on a piece that expands my grid/image concept to 6 panels and over 4 meters in total width. Scaling up the concept has been an interesting challenge as has working with many other people. The weaving will be finalized this week and the printing will begin. The images are from American sources and are totemic, on several levels. My own smaller works progress as time allows.

Jaa mata …