A selection of paintings, poetry and calligraphy spans a millennium of tradition and creativity in East Asian art.
"Old Plum" by Tokuyama Gyokuran. She is one of the few women artists in the exhibition, and her work is characterized by energetic and playful brushwork.
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Portland Art Museum's current exhibition, Poetic Imagination in Japanese Art showcases work spanning a millennium with pieces dating as far back as 750 AD to the most recent from 1961.
The collection offers over 100 paintings and works of calligraphy collected over forty years by Mary and Cheny Cowles and curated by Maribeth Graybill, to present a unifying theme of visual art closely tied to poetic traditions.
To add to viewers' experience, the museum is offering an array of programs to create a deeper understanding of the work, and to spark poetic and artistic inspiration in viewers.
Occasional weekend events will feature a variety of calligraphy and ikebana demonstrations, music performances, poetry reading and writing opportunities, artmaking, and even the chance to sample Japanese small bites and sweets from local makers.
The exhibition is organized into four themes between the eight and 20th centuries: Waka and the Courtly Tradition–rooted in Japanese waka poetry and the classical culture of the ninth through 12th centuries; Ink Painting and the Zen Milieu, based on Chinese poetic themes initially taken up by monks and later adopted by professional painters in medieval Japan; Literati Culture, in which neo-Confucian philosophy, painting and poetry by scholar-amateurs of the Ming period (1368-1644) became a powerful form of self-expression and group identity; and Modern Innovations in which artists found ways to transform traditional techniques to create personal styles while simultaneously resisting and exploring western influence.
Some pieces, such as the 15th century scroll, Bai Juyi Questions Zen Master Bird Nest, by Ikkyū Sōjun's are devoted entirely to calligraphy. The brush strokes and figures capture a fascinating and telling visual beauty of their own.
But the more affecting pieces often combine both the visuals of traditional painting and ink drawings with the ornate calligraphy.
An excerpt from an album of calligraphy by a retired emperor, Goyōzei (1571–1617), offers poems written over paper decorated with abstract and natural motifs in gold and other metallic pigments. The calligraphy sits amongst the images of cherry blossoms, leaves, landscapes and clouds as they were natural parts of the setting, like flowers, birds and trees amongst the sepia-toned world about them.
Retired Emperor Goyōzei (1571–1617), Waka Album (detail), early 17th century; from an album of twelve double leaves; ink on gold- and silver- decorated paper, 8 x 20 5/8 in. (open)., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
Another example of the disciplines of poetry, calligraphy and painting melding as one is in Waka Poem by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro as rendered by Shōkadō Shōjō, one of the finest calligraphers of his time. The poem is brushed on paper decorated by Tawaraya Sōtatsu. The result brings to mind autumnal flowers pressed within the pages of a diary.
The portrait of a famous courtesan known as Moshio reading with calligraphy attributed to the courtesan herself dates from the mid-17th century. Scrolls such as this and Quiet Residence in a Bamboo Grove, from 1450 by another unknown artist are presented with space for the calligraphy at the top of the scroll, with the detailed imagery toward the lower half.
In later pieces, the artwork becomes more refined but also more dominant in its presentation, taking up more of the space, while the details become sharper and more elegant, as in Red-Breasted Parakeet on Willow with Roses by Sō Shiseki (Japanese, 1712¬–1786), which shows an exquisitely detailed bird resting upon a branch which traverses the scroll's full length from the upper left corner to the bottom right. In Old Plum by Tokuyama Gyokuran (Japanese, 1727/8–1784), the branch of the tree reaches across a six-panel screen like a river seen from above on a topographical map.
Sō Shiseki (Japanese, 1712¬–1786), Red-Breasted Parakeet on Willow with Roses (detail), 1764, one of a pair of hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk, 44 3/16 x 13 9/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
In Green Mountains, White Clouds, an example of the literati style, by Tanomura Chikuden (Japanese, 1777–1835) two scholars chat and laugh on a ledge by a waterfall, which runs the entire length of the scroll, cascading down through a cloudy mountain to a river below.
"While those deeply familiar with Japanese culture will appreciate the literary allusions in these works, all visitors will be able to savor their evocative beauty," says Graybill, the museum's Curator of Asian Art. "This is an exhibition that invites contemplative looking and emotional response. We hope that viewers will be inspired to compose their own verses about what they see and feel."
The most modern piece on display is Shout, from 1961 by Inoue Yūichi (Japanese, 1916–1985). Using frozen ink on paper, the artist applies almost crude black brushstrokes, particularly in comparison to the historical pieces on display, against a pale background to spell the Japanese word "katsu!" the shout of a Zen master when he strikes a student who is dozing off.
Inoue Yūichi (Japanese, 1916–1985), Shout, 1961, hanging scroll; frozen ink on paper, 37 x 69 5/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
The programs scheduled around the exhibition are appropriate for all ages and are created to provide both inspiration and a greater understanding of the themes and creative processes represented in the exhibition.
The exhibit is up now until January 13, 2019. The museum celebrates a community free day on November 17. An international team of scholars who contributed to the exhibition will be on hand for a symposium on December 7 and 8. A schedule of events can be found at portlandartmuseum.org.
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Tōdaiji Scriptorium, Fragment of the Avatamsaka Sutra: The Nigatsudō Burnt Sutra, 744, handscroll fragment mounted as a hanging scroll; silver on indigo paper, 9 3/16 x 43 3/4 in.; mounting by Sugimoto Hiroshi (Japanese, born 1948), Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work: The earliest work in the exhibition, this is a fragment of a sacred Buddhist sacred text that was damaged by fire in the 17th century. The extravagance of the materials and the solemn, measured quality of the calligraphy, based on contemporary Chinese models, suits the nature of the text.
Japan, artist unknown, Quiet Residence in a Bamboo Grove, about 1450, hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper, 33 3/4 x 12 1/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
Although this work is unsigned, the style suggests that it was painted for appreciation by Zen monks and their patrons in Kyoto. The original plan was probably to have several monks inscribe poems on the upper part of the scroll.
Ikkyū Sōjun (Japanese, 1394–1481), Bai Juyi Questions Zen Master Bird Nest, 15th century, hanging scroll; ink on paper, 50 x 13 9/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
Written in “mad cursive” script, this calligraphy reveals the ferocious eccentricity of Ikkyū Sōjun, a Zen monk famous for not adhering to conventions. The text is a well-known dialogue between the Chinese poet Bai Juyi (772–846) and “Master Bird Nest” (741–824), a Chinese hermit-monk who liked to meditate while sitting high in the branches of a tree.
Motsurin Jōtō (Japanese, died ca.1492), Grapes, 15th century, hanging scroll; ink on paper, 17 1/2 x 15 3/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
Among the closest disciples of Ikkyū Sōjun (see #3, above), Motsurin Jōtō did ink painting as a pastime. Grapes were a favorite subject for ink painters, as their forms are perfectly suited to the medium, allowing the painter to demonstrate mastery of wet and dry and dark and light ink, as well as the gesture of the body.
Retired Emperor Goyōzei (1571–1617), Waka Album (detail), early 17th century; from an album of twelve double leaves; ink on gold- and silver- decorated paper, 8 x 20 5/8 in. (open)., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
This is the first of twelve pages in an album of calligraphy by a retired emperor and eleven other high-ranking courtiers. Each of them chose two poems to write on paper beautifully decorated with abstract and natural motifs in gold and other metallic pigments. Such an album might have been made as an elegant gift.
Shōkadō Shōjō (Japanese, 1584–1639), calligraphy; Tawaraya Sōtatsu (Japanese, died 1643), painting, Waka Poem by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, early 17th century, shikishi mounted as a hanging scroll; ink on gold- and silver-decorated paper, 7 15/16 x 7 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
A younger contemporary of Emperor Goyōzei (see #6, above), Shōkadō Shōjō was considered one of the finest calligraphers of his time. Here he has brushed a famous poem on paper decorated by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, an equally famous artist known for creating a new style of decorative painting.
Japan, artist unknown; calligraphy attributed to Moshio (Japanese, active ca. 1655–1660), Courtesan Moshio Reading a Book, about 1655–61, hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, 25 9/16 x 13 7/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
This captivating painting presents two images of a famous courtesan. The portrait by an unknown artist shows her reading a book by lamplight, a clue to her character and education. The calligraphic inscription, presumably in her own hand, emphasizes all the more that she was a woman of erudition, taste, and refinement.
Sō Shiseki (Japanese, 1712¬–1786), Red-Breasted Parakeet on Willow with Roses, 1764, one of a pair of hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk, 44 3/16 x 13 9/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
Sō Shiseki was a master of a style of decorative realism that had its roots in Chinese courtly painting. Exotic birds and blossoms, depicted with carefully observed detail, are artfully arranged among freely brushed foliage and rocks, for an elegant effect.
Tokuyama Gyokuran (Japanese, 1727/8–1784), Old Plum, one of a pair of six-panel screens; ink and light color on paper, 53 5/16 x 105 5/8 in. each, Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
One of the few women artists in the exhibition, Gyokuran was trained since her youth in literati painting. Inspired by paintings by Chinese scholar-amateurs, literati painting was less a style than an approach to art making that emphasized self-expression. Her paintings are characterized by energetic and playful brushwork.
Tanomura Chikuden (Japanese, 1777–1835), Green Mountains, White Clouds, 1832, hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, 44 1/8 x 11 3/4 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
A samurai from western Japan, Chikuden was an accomplished scholar of Confucian studies. For him, literati painting was more than a way to earn a living; it was the fundamental currency of exchange among like-minded intellectuals. In this work, two scholars stand on a ledge by a waterfall, chatting in an animated way. Friendship is a major theme in Chikuden’s paintings.
Yamamoto Baiitsu (Japanese,1783–1856), Orchid Pavilion in Blue and Green, 1855, hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, 56 1/4 x 22 5/8 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
Baiitsu’s subject here is the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, an event that took place in China in 353. Forty-some poets assembled to celebrate the Spring Purification Ceremony; wine cups were floated down a stream and, whenever one stopped, the man closest to it had to drink the wine and compose a verse. Baiitsu captures the lighthearted merriment of this famous gathering with his distinctive light touch.
Ōtagaki Rengetsu (Japanese, 1791–1875), Samurai Footman with Poem, 1867, hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper, 12 13/16 x 17 1/2 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
After suffering the loss of two husbands and early death of three of her children, Ōtagaki Nobu found refuge in taking vows as a Buddhist nun, taking the name Rengetsu. She refused to seclude herself in a convent, however, and from her cottage on the western outskirts of Kyoto, she supported herself by selling her pottery and calligraphy. This humorous sketch and calligraphy was an early acquisition, and inspired the Cowles to collect Japanese art more seriously.
Tomioka Tessai (Japanese, 1836–1924), Obsessions (detail), 1895, handscroll; ink and color on silk, 9 7/16 x 84 3/4 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
A scholar of Buddhist and Confucian texts, Tessai was mentored in his early career by the nun Rengetsu (see #12, above). His exuberant paintings are most often on Chinese themes. This image is a detail of a handscroll with imaginary portraits of eight Chinese literati known for their “obsessions,” such as calligraphy, books, or tea.
Watanabe Seitei (Japanese, 1851–1918), Fourth Month: Peony in Rain, from a series of Birds and Flowers of Twelve Months and Four Seasons, 1905, one of a set of twelve hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk, 45 1/4 x 15 7/8 in. each, Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
One of the first Japanese artists to travel to Europe to study oil painting, Watanabe Seitei spent three years in Paris in the 1870s, hobnobbing with Edgar Degas and Édouard Manet. On his return to Japan, he developed his own unique style of bird-and-flower painting, deeply imbued with romanticism.
Shimomura Kanzan (Japanese, 1873–1930), Herons under the Moon, about 1920, hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, 54 7/8 x 16 1/2 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
The very first graduate of the new Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Shimomura Kanzan was at the center of progressive painting circles in Tokyo in the early 20th century. He created a modernist Japanese painting style that drew on traditional themes and techniques—as in this work—yet presented them in an entirely fresh way.
Inoue Yūichi (Japanese, 1916–1985), Shout, 1961, hanging scroll; frozen ink on paper, 37 x 69 5/16 in., Collection of Mary and Cheney Cowles.
About the work:
One of the most celebrated Japanese artists of the postwar period, Inoue Yūichi infuses the traditional art of calligraphy with the sensibility of abstract expressionism. The text here is the Japanese word katsu!, which is the shout of a Zen master when he strikes a student who is dozing off.
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