Purple Streak Centre for Arts: 2014

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

"Mesmerizing Momiji-Japanese Crimson" Exhibition of Artworks by Anu Jindal

images from the show

Thursday, 13 November 2014

Purple Streak Centre for Arts

announces upcoming show

Mesmerizing Momiji

Japanese Crimson

Exhibition of Artworks by Anu Jindal

December 2014

an image from the show

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Jean Arp The Biomorphist

Birth anniversary of

Jean Arp

(given name Hans Arp)

French Artist: sculptor, painter, collagist, printmaker, constructivist

16 Sept 1886 born in Germany; d. 1966

Movements: Abstraction, Dada, Surrealism, Constructivism, Biomorphism

Jean Arp Human Concretion

1935, plaster, 49.5 x 47.6 x 64.7 cm. MOMA

Jean Arp was born in Germany to a German father and French mother. He studied and worked in France, Germany and Switzerland. He was one of the founders of the Dada movement in Zurich in a group that included Marcel Janco, Tristan Tzara, and others. The Cabaret Voltaire which opened in 1916 became the center of Dada activities for this group.

In the 1920s Jean Arp painted wooden wall relief and by the 1930s he shifted to making sculptures in the round, in wood and plaster, the initial forms being human torsos. Gradually he gravitated towards biomorphic forms originating from concepts of metamorphosis and growth. Amoebic, rounded forms demonstrated fluidity and ambiguity

An interesting oeuvre was a series of small works which encouraged interaction by the viewers, whereby they could separate and rearrange the formations to their liking.

Jean Arp in his studio 1950s. Photo by Ida Kar

Jean Arp Forest

1916, painted wood relief. 32.7 x 19.7 x 7.6 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington

Jean Arp Head and Shell (Tête et coquille)

ca. 1933. Polished brass, 19.7 x 22.5 cm. The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation,

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Jean Arp Growth

1938. Marble, 80.3 cm high. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York

Jean Arp The Navel Bottle (Die Nabelflasche)

plate 4 from portfolio of seven lithographs. Edition of 50, 1923

composition (irreg.): 41.6 x 24.8 cm; sheet: 45.1 x 34.9 cm.

Publisher: Merzverlag(Kurt Schwitters), Hannover, Germany. Printer: A. Molling & Comp., Hannover, Germany probably. Edition of 50. MOMA

Monday, 15 September 2014

A wonderful viewpoint by Yukiko Murano

on Japanese Belief– Is it religion, is it atheism.

Sharing a shortened version

Yukiko Murano is a Tea Teacher, Head of the International Team of Japanese Tea Ceremony Omotesenke Way in Tokyo

Japanese live and feel with Nature. Nature are full of Spirits in Japan. 八百万の神 this is a metaphorical number of countless deities in Japanese soil. Mountains, Snow, volcano, Onsen, hot springs, Ocean, lakes, marshes, rivers, waterfalls, even wind, rain, typhoon, fog, big trees...everything are Spirits in Japan. We worship nature. The translation 'God' seems originally inappropriate, as the unique recognition 'Kami' which is right, but then may be 'Dou' is more right to explain our belief or behavior. Shintou神(道(tou-dou) is not 神(教(kyou-religion) after all. Not Allah nor God, but Kami. There is awe for the Invisibleness. Dou is the invisible restrictions and affirmations based on the individual moral criteria. Through timeless endeavour and study and research teachers of Dou teach people each of the Dou Ways. Like in fighting, mentors for Judou, Kendou, Aikidou and Sumo were needed, and in ordinary life- Flower Dou, Chadou, Kodo, Shodo. And may be how to love people 'Dou' based on moral way, which may be too traditional but not unfair. Teachers in Japan are like doyens. People pay respect to teachers. How to be a desirable individual and harmonize with others in the society. The basic answer is always in Nature. Not in Koran nor Bible.

Agricultural life-style and the constant repetition of the natural four seasons including natural disasters bring to the Japanese a stable belief that nature overwhelms, gifts and blesses, creates tragedy and sorrow. Earthquake and tsunami, typhoon and flood devour living things, but we see it as natural deeds, and try not to conquer them but try to co-exist and manage. No bible or Koran but based on the Classic forklore 'Kojiki'古事記、the mythical fable, that we believe our nation derives from. This is a reason we call ourselves: Non-God people, Atheists. But every one of us believes in natural Awe and behaves as Dou guides us.

Through the Historical coalescence, Shinto and Buddhism were together, 神仏習合 in Japan until Samurai Epoch. Then we do have Zen Temples where No Buddhist Statues are existing (some are), but priests guide people toward 'Zen' and 'Dou' mind. If you feel like questioning through the self-discipline, what is the 'Truth' of our being and how we can live our life in a right way. More philosophical than religious.

Images added by blogger of Ise Shinto Shrine (above), Ryoan-ji Zen dry-landscape garden (below)

Sunday, 31 August 2014

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's special meeting with PM Narendra Modi in heritage city Kyoto

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe went to Kyoto as a special gesture to Indian PM Narendra Modi

In Kyoto PM Abe oversaw the ceremony where an MoU was signed by Indian Ambassador to Japan Deepa Wadhwa and Daisaku Kadokawa, Mayor of Kyoto. The Partner City Affiliation MoU marks the launch of smart heritage city programme between the two countries, to prepare a detailed road-map of cooperation. PM Modi's consitutent city Varanasi will be developed as a "Smart City" in partnership with Kyoto - a confluence of heritage and modernity. PM Modi also plans to create 100 smart cities in India.

Monday, 25 August 2014

Shūnyatā: Visual Translation of the Void in Contemporary Japanese Art & Design

by Dr. Anu Jindal

Art Historian-Artist

Abstract

The Buddhist concept of shūnyatā (Sanskrit) kū (Japanese) variously translated as emptiness, void or non-substantiality was articulated by the Indian scholar Nagarjuna as a state of “neither existence nor nonexistence” which described the true nature of all things.

In Contemporary Japanese Visual Arts shūnyatā manifests as purity, tranquility, austerity, simplicity in contrast to the stress and turmoil of the world today. Shūnyatā also expounds on the latent potential inherent in life which can express itself at any time. Visual translation of the void encourages active participation by the viewer, prodding the memory bringing forth subliminal thoughts to rise into the consciousness.

This paper discusses shūnyatā in Japanese aesthetic renditions taking examples from contemporary art and design works.

copyright Anu Jindal 2014

(Full paper after presentation)

Monday, 7 July 2014

FIRST STUDENTS OF PURPLE STREAK CENTRE FOR ARTS