Akio Takamori: The Laughing Monks at the Henry Museum

Written by Vernon Bollman Monday, 03 January 2011 20:52

Seattle, WA - One central aspect of a museum’s programs is the continual exploration and reassessment of its collections.  As a university art museum, the Henry has grown primarily through gifts over its nearly 80-year existence.

As part of the ongoing project to explore the museum’s collections creatively, the Henry has invited professor of art Akio Takamori to design an installation responding to these holdings.  Associate professor of ceramics at the University of Washington, Takamori has developed a practice of figural sculpture built out of clay that juxtaposes elements of several distinct traditions, including functional ceramics, traditional Asian calligraphy, Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and contemporary photography. On exhibition until 22 October, 2006.

Each half of Takamori’s two-part installation features new sculptures based on the characters of Kanzan and Jittoku (the Laughing Monks) alongside artworks from the collections.  These archetypal figures have been a favorite subject in Chinese and Japanese painting since the 13^th century.  Takamori saw these paintings as a child and had always been attracted to these characters, a poet-recluse and a temple dishwasher.  They are traditionally depicted with ragged clothing and tangled hair, grimacing or laughing wildly.  They are thought to embody the spirit of Zen freedom and spontaneity.

One gallery focuses on ceramic vessels, featuring Onta ware and pots by Kanjiro Kawai alongside vessels from other countries.  Accompanying the vessels is a seated pair of monks, “using” the vessels.

In the other gallery, two standing monks are paired works on paper - pictures of children including works by Nan Goldin, James McNeill Whistler, Edward Weston, and Helen Levitt.  When asked about the connection a between this subject matter and his sculptures, Takamori replied:

Like the monks, these can be works simultaneously charming or cute, and scary.  The Nan Goldin photograph is not easy to look at, and I knew that in choosing this work, and also others in the exhibition.  When young kids are playing Barbies, or GI Joes, or whatever – they pretend and become those characters.  The doll becomes a stand-in for the child.  I am hoping that visitors to this exhibition will allow themselves to step into the characters of Kanzan and Jittoku, and imagine how they might experience these works of art.  I have created this particular environment for the monks, and I would like for viewers to experience how they perceive the world.

This exhibition is one of an occasional series where contemporary artists explore the resources of the Henry Art Gallery collections.  At the same time it complements the artist’s mid-career survey at the Tacoma Art Museum, Between Clouds of Memory: the Ceramic Art of Akio Takamori, which runs until October 8, 2006.

Akio Takamori: The Laughing Monks is organized by Chief Curator Elizabeth Brown.  Exhibition design concept by Akio Takamori.  Generously supported by ArtsFund, PONCHO, and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle.

Visit The Henry Art Gallery at : www.henryart.org/