Kamisaka Sekka

The Dawn of Modern Japanese Design

 

From June 22^nd until August 26^th, the Art Gallery of New South Wales showcases timeless Japanese art through KamisakaSekka: the dawn of modern Japanese design. Through thoughtful displays of the development of the Rinpa school of design, audiences can follow the influences of traditional Japanese culture as it mixes with contemporary themes and ideas. This compilation of lacquers, ceramics, decorative art and textiles spanning from the early 17^th Century until the present, displays the Rinpa tradition of the ‘artist as designer’. This tradition developed and expanded as Rinpa scholars traveled to Europe, adopting ideas drawn from Art Nouveu and, in particular, the British Arts and Crafts movement. With its focus on motifs and themes taken from nature, Rinpa art is accessible to a broad audience regardless of age, gender and cultural background. Few other artistic traditions established centuries ago continue to captivate and engage viewers today on the same level as Rinpa.

Art by Kamisaka Sekka
Photo credits to Marsh Australia

Australian Symbolism

The Art of Dreams

 

The Art Gallery of New South Wales presented an awe inspiring exhibition which follows the Symbolist movement through Australian Art. The exhibition established the significance of this movement in Australia with a diversity of artistic responses through themes and ideas that connect with the Art Nouveu tradition, seen specifically through photography, painting, sculpture in bronze and marble, as well as decorative art. This exploration of an Australian art movement (often internationally neglected,) showcases many scenes of familiar pastoral landscapes with a refreshing emphasis on ethereal themes throughout. An example of this is Arthur Streeton’s A bush idyll (1896) which presents a group of nymphs linked in an Arcadian dance at twilight. Here they resonate as the spirits of pastoral traditions embodying the idyllic inflections of the place. On the whole, the exhibition depicted how an Australian landscape can be where the supernatural manifestationsand dreams reside.

In a fantastic display of Australian beauty, the Art Gallery of New South Wales captivates audiences by offering a new lensethrough which to view our traditional notions of Australian scenery and landscape.Through paintings and decorative arts, this exhibition pays homage to classical European influences.

Photo Signature & date: Signed and dated l.l. corner, brown oil "ARTHUR STREETON/ 1896"

Credit: Gift of Dr Joseph Brown 1991