Beauty in All Things Opens!

November 29th, 2011 at 12:18pm Erica

ATTENTION design enthusiasts! Our show, ‘Beauty in All Things’ has opened! Be among the first to see some amazing examples of contemporary Japanese design, taken from MAD’s permanent collection. We are excited to feature works that examine how artists have challenged and interpreted methods, materials and techniques while remaining true to the spirit of Japanese aesthetics.

I interviewed the exhibition’s curator, Jennifer Scanlan, about the philosophy behind Beauty in All Things, and why it’s the show to see this winter!

How did ‘Beauty in All Things’ come about?

The collections floor changes periodically, about every 4 to 6 months, so that we can introduce new themes and show off new works in the collection. As collections curator, I keep lists of various themes that I think might make an interesting exhibition, and since we have such strong holdings in works by Japanese artists, this exhibition was high on my list. Then when we got a few new works that I was excited to display—the glass piece by Toshio Iezumi, the chair by Hiroki Takada—the timing seemed right.

Was there any guiding concept that helped give the show direction?

One of the main concepts that we were trying to illustrate is that the Japanese have a different set of aesthetics from Europeans and Americans. One is example is the concept of “wabi sabi,” which refers to the beauty found in signs of age and imperfection.  I feel that ultimately the beauty in these works is universal, even if we do not necessarily have a parallel concept in Western aesthetics—but visitors can judge this for themselves.

We also wanted to show the range of expression in Japanese works, from the more elegant and classical works we might traditionally associate with Japanese art, to the newer forms that have connections to pop culture. We did not have many figurative works in our collection, so we ended up borrowing some in order to round out the exhibition.

What’s the meaning behind the title of the show?

One thing that came across as we were putting together the exhibition is that the Japanese see beauty in many aspects of daily life, including, and perhaps even especially, the most humble tasks. The title was meant to highlight this approach. And the exhibition really is about beauty, which is an unusual topic for a contemporary art exhibition these days. Is beauty cultural? Universal? Subjective?

What are your favorite pieces in the show?

There are many favorites, but one of my favorite pieces that we have never displayed before is Scene 0701 by Kazumi Ikemoto. For me, it makes reference to humorous Japanese woodblocks, the narrative traditions of Japanese scrolls, Renaissance paintings and children’s cartoons.  It’s fun to try and figure out what is actually happening!

One surprise was the paper samples by Toshio Ikezaki. I had never seen them before, just the cardboard box that holds them. And titles like “paper with thick fiber and plastic beads” were not particularly inspiring. Instead, these pieces turned out to be spectacular!

 

Readers, now is the time to catch Beauty in All Things for yourselves. Hopefully you’ll leave the show inspired to find Beauty in all the things around you! Here are some photos from the exhibit!

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