OKCMOA SHOWING
JAPANESE WOOD
BLOCK PRINTS AND
PHOTOGRAPHY
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| Japanese woodblock print, courtesy Oklahoma City Museum of Art | |
“The Unsettled Lens: Photography from the
Permanent Collection” and “After the Floating World: The Enduring Art of
Japanese Woodblock Prints” is open on the first floor of the Oklahoma
City Museum of Art. These two new, original exhibitions feature artwork from
the Museum’s permanent collection and many works have not been on view at
the Museum before. They will be on view until May 14.
“With almost 4,000 works in our permanent collection, we only
have a small portion of works on view on any given day,” said E. Michael
Whittington, President and CEO. “Special exhibitions like these give us an
opportunity to showcase incredible works of art that we otherwise would not
have a chance to display. ‘After the Floating World’ includes two remarkable Japanese
artists whose work has not yet been on view in our current building. I think
visitors will be surprised and delighted by this original exhibition of
woodblock prints, one of Japan’s most famous art forms.”
Woodblock prints, popular in Japan from
the 17th through the 19th centuries, are known as “ukiyo-e,” which translates
as “pictures from the floating world.” “Ukiyo-e”
artists produced prints in a variety of subject matter including actors in the
Kabuki theater, folktales, mythology and landscapes.
“After the Floating World” focuses on
two printmakers: Torii Kiyotada VII (1875-1941) and Hiroshi Yoshida
(1876-1950). They were at the forefront of the early 20th century evolution of
the “ukiyo-e” tradition into a style known as “shin hanga” that incorporated stylistic elements
from the West. Kiyotada VII was born into a family with a long tradition of
producing theatrical images, and his prints of Kabuki actors illustrate the
rich tradition of Japanese theater. Yoshida was a popular artist in both Japan
and the United States whose extensive world travels resulted in evocative
prints of familiar landmarks such as Mt. Fuji, the Taj Mahal, the Acropolis and
Niagara Falls.
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| Courtesy Oklahoma City Museum of Art |
“We have an incredibly strong collection of
photography here at the Museum,” said Francesca Giani, curator of modern and
contemporary art. “Looking through the collection, I was struck by the idea of
the uncanny and the tension that grows as you spend time with some of these
photographs.”
“The Unsettled Lens: Photography from the Permanent
Collection”
builds subtle tensions based on the idea of the uncanny as a sense of
displacement, as a difficulty in reconciling the familiar with the unknown. By
converting nature into unrecognizable abstract impressions of reality, by
intruding on moments of intimacy, by weaving enigmatic narratives and by
challenging notions of time and memory, these images may elicit unsettling
sensations and challenge our intellectual mastery of the new.
“The
Unsettled Lens” showcases new acquisitions in photography and photographs from
the permanent collection, stretching from the early 20th century to the year
2000. The exhibition features artists such as Brett Weston,
Ralph Gibson, Stan Douglas, Wynn Bullock, Angela Grauerholz and many more. Many
of the photographs included in this exhibition have never been on view at the Museum.
Tickets can be
purchased online at www.okcmoa.com/tickets,
in person at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art or by calling the Museum at (405)
236-3100. Adult tickets are $12 and include admission to the entire Museum,
including OKCMOA's permanent collection and "Dale Chihuly: Magic and
Light." Discounted tickets are available for active military members,
seniors, students and children. Student and military tickets can be purchased only
in person with valid I.D. and cannot be purchased online. Members of the Museum
receive free admission to the exhibitions. Group tours for 15 or more are
available at a discounted ticket price, and Oklahoma K-12 school tours are free.
Tour reservations must be made in advance at (405) 278-8213.
The
Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
Courtesy Oklahoma Museum of Art
