Emille Galle

Sep.11 - Nov.7

The movement of Art Nouveau (New Art) swept Europe from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. It was a style that explored the elements of art in life and bloomed specially around Paris and in Nancy, an old north-eastern city in France.

Emile Galle (1846-1904) pursued glass art, pottery and furniture design in Nancy; his unique creativity and originality inspired the field of decorative art with a new breath of expressiveness. From 1874 through 1877, Galle transitioned into his father's glass & pottery business.

In production, Galle never limited himself to traditional European depictions but actively adopted exotic flair from western Asia and the far East, such as etching symbolical poetry. He also zealously studied decorative techniques, and developed new materials with a variety of coloring methods, enabling an even wider range of expression.

Featuring mythical images and natural life, e.g., flowers, forests and the sea, Galle's innovative articles touch viewers with powerful statements. They display very deep sentiments unprecedented in previous decorative art. Among a fast range of areas, he showed greatest strength in glass art, which led modern trends almost single-handedly.

Galle's mysterious and enchanting world heavily influenced artists of his era and later generations; his mastery of art was quickly recognized while he was active and remains highly regarded.

2004 marks the centennial anniversary of Galle's death and to celebrate his works, the museum will be exhibiting his work that focused on glass art.

Suntory Museum Tempozan
Getting there: Subway Chuo, Osaka-ko stn, Exit #1.
Open: 10:30am-7pm, closed Mon.
Admission: ¥1000/¥700/¥500
Tel: 06-6577-0001

Silkworm: Celebrating Ten Years in the Reproduction of Shoso-in Textile

Until Oct.11

For the last ten years, the Imperial Household Agency's Office of the Shosoin Repository has been involved in the reproduction of ancient textiles from the Nara period (710-793) used for the Shosoin treasures. This reproduction project has been successful in large part due to the cultivation within the Imperial Palace grounds of the Koishimaru silkworm from the Momijiyama Imperial Cocoonery of Her Majesty the Empress, which produces the finest threads that closely resembles in quality the silk material in the Shosoin, and of the nihon akane (Japanese madder), a red-dye material.

Since 1994, nineteen exquisite reproductions have been achieved. Although limited in number, these reproductions offer a rich overview of eighth-century textiles. Among these include ashiginu (plain-weave silk), which was collected from various regions in Japan as an early form of tax; aya (damask twill), a textile interwoven with design; ra (complex gauze), a patterned textile created by a complicated technique of twisting and weaving; and multicolored, patterned nishiki (brocade). The reproductions faithfully imitated patterns and colors, which determine outward appearance, as well as incorporated materials closest in quality to the originals. Exact weave structures as well as miswoven areas were replicated.

Kyoto National Museum
Getting there: JR/Subway Kyoto station, Bust platform D2, take city bus #206 or #208 to Hakubutsukan Sanjosangen stop. Keihan line, Shichijo stn, 7 min walk east along Shichijo.
Open: 9:30am-4:30pm, closed Mondays
Admission: ¥420/¥420/130
Tel: 075-541-1151

Paintings of Yokoo Tadanori
1966 -1996

Until Aug.29

To commemorate the opening of the museum, the museum has collected almost 300 works including paintings and posters by the artist, Yokoo Tadanori, who originates from Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefectu-re. His graphic work such as in posters was displayed once in the initial opening year of the museum as a Feature Exhibition, however, at that time it was only possible to introduce a few of his great oil and acrylic paintings, since most of his painted work had been loaned out to another museum that was holding a Yokoo Tadanori Exhibition. Yokoo's paintings will be on display as the second exhibition of his work, following his previously held graphic work exhibition.

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
Hanshin Iwaya Stn. (by the ocean)
Open: 10am-5pm, closed Mondays
Admission: ¥1200/¥800/¥400
Tel: 078-262-0901

Friendly Fire —
The Works of Barnbrook Design

Sep.13-Oct.14

Jonathan Barnbrook is one of the most influential graphic designers in Great Britain today. His activities during the past
14 years have invariably generated a great deal of discussion and debate, both favorable and unfavorable.

The exhibition represents the first large-scale showing of his work. Beginning with his collaboration with Damien Hirst, it includes everything from his anti-advertising activities to commercial work such as the CI project he created for Roppongi Hills in Tokyo. Experi-mental projects that have never been publicly seen before will also be on view, along with representative work from his early years. The exhibition will offer an invaluable opportunity that takes up even his most recent works addressing social problems and political issues, works that are as yet unknown in Japan.

DDD Gallery
Getting there: Nishi-Umeda stn/Higobashi stn.
Open: 10am-6pm, closed on Sat, Sun, Holidays.
Admission: Free
Tel: 06-6347-8780

Kansai Art Listings

ART section compiled by Maki Nibayashi