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OOKA SHUNBOKU: Daikokuten et Tigre | 5 Facts by inkbrushmood

Bonus:

The *original* Daikokuten et tigre. With those Bezier-like curves, you'd think that he drafted this in Illustrator or sometime in the 20th century. But no... This slick illustration is from 1750!

Anywho! Guess who *did* pop into Illustrator in a design frenzy inspired by Ooka Shunboku?

L'Inkbrushmood, of course! Enjoy this free wallpaper (1366×768) of a REMIXED Daikokuten (and his trusty tiger pal):

There's more at inkbrushmood.com ;)

Swallow and Camellia by Itō Jakuchū (c. 1900). Ink and color on paper; Meiji era woodblock print reproduction.

I am enraptured by Itō Jakuchū’s art. The stark contrast between the ink-black background and the bold use of color on the foreground is immediately striking, sure. But it’s more than that.

The hues on Swallow and Camellia are not jump-at-you bright, but they are made dazzling nonetheless by graceful saturation. The crimson on the camelia is both soft and intense. Earthy tones on the leaves capture a natural elegance that reminds me of furyu (known in Chinese as fengliu) — a sense of sophisticated beauty present in nature. The concept of furyu originated in the Heian period and often translated to dazzling gardens inspired by a mindful appreciation for nature.

Some of that furyu-esque botanical elegance can be appreciated in Jakuchu’s paintings, with their intricate use of detail and pattern. Jakuchu often employed pointillism in his artworks, and though the context of his art is different from the Western perspective, they do have an impressionistic quality to them, even though Impressionism emerged in the late 1800s!

In any case, Japan’s hermitism during the Edo Period would have echoed the principles of furyu, which has been defined by art historians as “the recluse’s sense of aesthetics” (see an academic paper by Qiu, 2000, that explains the topic of furyu thoroughly).

Elegance certainly seems to be the main descriptor for Jakuchu’s work. But there is also a transcendent depth to his art. From a Westerner’s perspective, the use of a dramatic dark background is reminiscent of tenebrismo, and achieves a similar effect. Themes of transient beauty and the ephemeral quality of nature are brought to the foreground for consideration. Jakuchu, who’s artistic surname means “like the void”, was considered a lay Zen brother by the Buddhist community. As such, an appreciation for the uniqueness of the present moment contrasted against the existential experience of nothingness (not necessarily as dreadful as it sounds) would be a theme in line with Buddhist thinking.

Simply put, themes of life against death and activity against stillness seem to be at play in Jakuchu’s art. An interplay of color and starkness, darkness and motion situate the viewer in the scene captured by Jakuchu’s eye. Forms are outlined in such a way as to create a charged essence that pops into awareness. In this way, Jakuchu urges the viewer to appreciate the present moment with an artful, engaged eye.

INKBRUSHMOOD is now accepting artwork + art appreciation submissions!

JAPANESE ART APPRECIATION + HISTORY We are now accepting brief articles about:

Japanese Art/Movements Ukiyo-e and its subcategories (i.e. Bijin-ga, Shin hanga) Japanese photography or graphic design

Please include in your post: 1) A high quality image of what you wish to appreciate. No format restrictions as of yet, but should ideally be JPG or PNG. 2) Caption the image as follows:

ARTIST NAME: Title (in italics), date (in parenthesis). You may include additional information such as canvas size and medium beneath the initial caption. 3) Brief description of stand-out elements of the image. What caught your attention? Point to that or to your favorite aspects of the image. Keep it simple. Off-beat references to Western art or other disciplines are great! Somewhere between 1-2 paragraphs would be ideal, but more is acceptable depending on content.

ORIGINAL ART Are you a graphic artist influenced by Japanese art? If so, we look forward to receiving your work!

IKB is looking for:

Illustrations

Paintings

Photography

Graphic design experimentation

Formats of your choosing, but try to keep images high quality, JPG or PNG. Ideal post size for Tumblr is 4813px * 4692px. You don't have to explain your artwork, but make sure to caption it: YOUR NAME: Artwork Title (date of completion). Medium and canvas size (if applicable). Link to portfolio if you have it.

Online submissions only at the moment. Print submissions will open depending on need and reception of call. Online submissions will be featured on Tumblr!IKB as they are approved. Stand-out submissions will be featured in IKB VOL. 2.

To send your work, go to https://inkbrushmood.tumblr.com/submit.

Please feel free to share!

Thank you!