Just So You Know...

I mention my readings on Japanese textiles and designs only because they are new to me, and I know some of you are interested.

I, by no means, hold that your work, even if strongly Japanese-influenced, should adhere to any aesthetics or rules I find in these books. Where's the fun in that? Unless, of course, you want to make them thus.

And whatever I write, unless I site the sources, is an accumulation knowledge/information from being ethnically Japanese for 52 years, living in a liberal, urban part of Japan for half of that time, having a textile-loving mother who had the biggest clothes horse as her dad, and from past reading and doco-viewing. So all inaccuracies/mistakes/faults/wild guesses are mine.

Dot wrote what I'm writing is a "visual language that is not the one I use.

My wrote: " That's what I'm learning now, and so far the hardest part for me, and possibly for Prof Mitsui to to explain, seems to be there is dichotomy everywhere. We love opposite things, like straight line, squares and order in some instances, and diagonal curves and dramatic composition in others. But then if you think about it, a whole group of people living on small islands at the end of the Silk Road - things are bound to get mixed up."

"That our culture is influenced by China and Korea is another given, but most Japanese, including art historians, don't give enough credit to the Korean influences, and way back when, it started as a deliberate policy because we wanted to feel independent and unique. In fact, it's still hard to get papers and books published stressing our Imperial family came from Korea. In the old days, until the end of the war, the position of the emperor was called the Son of the Sun, like Egypt, like France (?). And though folks know that's not possible, we have a whole creation myth centered around a brother and sister (which is a bit worrying) descending from the heavens running around in mud and creating the land that became Japan and I can't remember if said siblings were the ancestor of our Imperial family, it's goes something like that."

"In truth, whenever China or Korea had political or religious upheaval, the ousted powerful ended up in Japan."

And it's been slightly easier to publish the Korea-Imperial Family connection since the death of Emperor Hirohito, the last one who as god, the one who made the "I am a human being" speech on the radio January 1, 1946. But I might have written about these in this blog before.

This is a hasty disclaimer. Just don't let what I read cramp your art making.