UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ENGLAND

DEPARTMENT OF ART

SCHOOL OF THEORETICAL AND HISTORICAL STUDIES IN ART AND DESIGN

BA (Hons) Second Year Option for Art and Design Students

Jonathan Day and Michael Harrison

 

 

JAPANESE ART, DESIGN AND CULTURE

 

Aim

To examine aspects of Japanese art, architecture and design within an historical, geographical and cultural context.

 

Objectives

By the end of the module students should be able to:

1.       demonstrate a knowledge of aspects of Japanese art, architecture and design

2.       demonstrate an understanding of a range of critical approaches

3.       demonstrate an ability to make a presentation linking text and image in a clear and effective manner

 

Duration

60 hours – 6 credits

 

Indicative Assessment

20 minute seminar presentation

 

Indicative Content/Seminar Topics

[M. Harrison]

Shinto Shrines: Ise, Matsue, Nara, Tokyo

Buddhist Sculpture: Horyuji, Kofokuji, Kamakara

Buddhist Temples: Horyuji, Todaiji, Kofokuji, Nishi Hanganji

Japanese Gardens: Ryoanji, Daisen-in, Kinkakuji, Katsura Detached Palace

The Japanese Tea Ceremony

Traditional Ceramics

Swords and Armour

The Kimono

Inro and Netsuke

Lacquerware

The Art of Packaging

Imitation and Innovation: The Japanese Car Industry

Contemporary Product Design: Cameras, Sony Walkman, Games, etc

Contemporary Fashion: Miyake, Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons

Contemporary Jewellery

Contemporary [sub] cultures

Contemporary Architecture: Tange, Kurakawa, Isozaki, Ando.

 

[J. Day]

Japanese Theatre: Noh and Kabuki

Yamato-e: scrolls and panels

The Buffalo Pictures: Zen and the Beautiful

Fuji: Imaging the Sacred Earth

Ukiyo-e: Imaging the Floating World – Women

Ukiyo-e: Imaging the Floating World – Theatre

Japonisme

Kurasawa: Combining the Worlds

Two-way Traffic: Hollywood and the Japanese Cinema (including Disney and Studio G)

Living with the Holocaust: Godzilla on two sides of the Pacific

Living with the Holocaust: Akira

Life is Beat: Takeshi Kitano (including Battle Royale)

Living in the Past: Princess Mononoke and the Ainu

Zen and Virtual Reality

Picturing the Body

Manga

 

Feedback Tutorial

 

Bibliographic References

S. Addiss, How to look at Japanese Art (New York: Abrams (1996)

F. Baudot, Yohji Yamamoto (London: Thames and Hudson, 1997)

L. Benaim, Issey Miyake (London: Thames and Hudson, 1997)

R. Benedict, Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture (London: Routledge, 1977)
B. Bognor, The Japan Guide (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1995)

F. Berthier, Reading Zen in the Rocks (University of Chicago Press, 2000)

T. Clark, Ukiyo-e Paintings in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1992)

T. Clark, 100 Views of Mount Fuji (London, British Museum Press, 2001)

M. Collcutt et al, Cultural Atlas of Japan (Oxford: Phaidon, 1988)

L. Dalby, (ed.) Kimono; Fashioning Culture (New York: Vintage, 2001)

J. Earle (ed.), Japanese Art and Design (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1986)

K. Ekuan, The Aesthetics of the Japanese Lunchbox (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1998)

S. Evans, Contemporary Japanese Design (London: Collins and Brown, 1991)

G. Fahr-Becker, Japanese Prints (Koln: Taschen, 1999)

M. Forrer, Hokusai (Prestel Publishing, 2001)

M. Forrer, Hiroshige (Prestel Publishing, 2001)

S. Fraser, Contemporary Japanese Jewellery (London: Merrell, 2001)

F. Grand, Comme des Garcons (London: Thames and Hudson, 1998)

A.   Haft, The Birmingham Album of Japanese Actor Prints (Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 2001)

V. Harris, Japanese Art Masterpieces in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1990)

V. Harris, Shinto (London: British Museum , 2001)

J. Hutt, Understanding Far Eastern Art (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1987)

G. Irvine, The Japanese Sword: the soul of the Samurai (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2000)

T. Kitano, ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano (Tadeo Press, 1999)

A. Kurosawa, Something Like an Autobiography (Vintage Books, 1983)

F. Lloyd (ed.), Consuming Bodies: Sex and Contemporary Japanese Art (London: Reaktion Books, 2002)

A. Munroe, Japanese Art after 1945 (New York: Abrams, 1994)

H. Munsterberg, The Japanese Kimono (Oxford University Press, 1996)

T. Murakami, Superflat (Madra Publishing, 2000)

K. Nishi and K. Hozumi, What is Japanese Architecture? (Tokyo: Hodansha International, 1985)

G. Nitschke, From Shinto to Ando (London: Academy Editions, 1993)

R.T. Paine and A. Soper eds., The Art and Architecture of Japan (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981)

P.W. Preston, Understanding Modern Japan (London: Sage Publications, 2000)

D. Richie, The Image Factory: Fads and Fashions in Japan (London: Reaktion Books, 2003)

D. Richie, Japanese Cinema: An Introduction (1996)

D. Richie, Tokyo: A View of the City (London: Reaktion Books, 1999)

L.P. Roberts, A Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer, (Tokyo: Weatherill, 1991)

C.   Rowthorne et al, eds. Japan: From Asahi to Zen (Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2000)

F.L. Schodt, Manga! Manga! The world of Japanese Comics (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1998)

B.      Shelton, Learning from the Japanese City (London: E and F.N. Spon, 1999)

P. Sparke, Japanese Design (London: Joseph, 1987)

J. Stanley_Baker, ed. Japanese Art (London: Thames and Hudson, 2000)

C.      Tadgell, Japan: the informal contained (London: Ellipsis, 2000)

N. Tajima, Tokyo: a guide to recent architecture (London: Ellipsis, 2000)

R.S. Thornton, Japanese Graphic Design (London: Lawrence King, 1991)

S. Wichman, Japonisme (London: Thames and Hudson, 1981)

J. Zukowsky, Japan 2000 (Munich: Prestel, 1998)

 

The above list is intended to aid students in their identification of an area of focus. Area specific bibliographies assist them with the preparation of seminar papers.