Tag: Matthias Waschek

Posted on by

Contemporary Artists Explore Samurai in Popular Culture

Samurai! on display at Worcester Art Museum with guest curator Eric Nakamura, editor and founder of Giant Robot Magazine.

Samurai! on display at Worcester Art Museum with guest curator Eric Nakamura, editor and founder of Giant Robot Magazine.

From April 18 through September 6, 2015, the Worcester Art Museum will feature a diverse array of artistic interpretations of samurai in contemporary culture. Samurai! draws inspiration from the recently-acquired Japanese arms and armor in the John Woodman Higgins Collection to examine contemporary perceptions of this centuries-old tradition. Spanning a variety of media, from painting, and drawings, to paper sculpture and digital and woodblock prints, the exhibition spotlights recent works by Japanese and American artists and illustrators, among them Miya Ando, James Jean, kozyndan, Mu Pan, Ferris Plock, Masakatsu Sashie, Rob Sato, Yuko Shimizu, and Kent Williams. Their works will be interspersed with finely crafted samurai objects from the 1500s–1800s as a historic counterpoint to the fantastical depictions of samurai found throughout the galleries.

From May 4 through May 9, 2015, visitors will also have the opportunity to witness the installation of site-specific murals being created for the exhibition by artists Andrew Hem, Audrey Kawasaki, and Mari Inukai. These large-scale paintings will also draw on themes and symbols related to samurai and will extend the exhibition into other areas of the Museum.

As we continue to integrate the Higgins collection into our own, we are creating transformative spaces within the Museum that immerse visitors in ideas emanating from a distant time period but continue to feed the imaginations of today’s most creative minds,” said WAM Director Matthias Waschek. “With the opening of Samurai!, the Museum encourages viewers to draw connections between fine art and popular culture, while sparking a dialogue on how western perceptions of eastern customs are manifested through these mediums.

Highlights from the exhibition include:

  • The Loyal 47 Ronin (2011) by Mu Pan is characteristic of the artist’s blending of historical and popular culture. In this work, Pan renders the legendary band of rōnin (a samurai with no lord or master) defeating Godzilla in his own contemporary illustrative painting style that references the Ukiyo-e Japanese tradition.
  • Recent work by San-Francisco-based artist Ferris Plock draws on the artist’s childhood experience growing-up a block from a Buddhist temple. Often using golden backgrounds, Plock painstakingly creates intricate patterns in the attire (from yukata to samurai armor) of his subjects which are often animals or ball-cap sporting traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e faces.
  • Mother and Daughter (2009) by Kent Williams showcases the artist’s expressionist approach to painting in his depiction of a mother and daughter wearing traditional samurai armor, a contemporary departure from the traditional approach of showcasing men as samurai.

As a complement to the contemporary works on view, Samurai! reveals the craftsmanship and highly skilled metalwork applied to the creation of historic Japanese arms and armor. From a complex armor suit from Japan’s Edo period crafted from thousands of strips of lacquered leather assembled with colorful silk laces, to a 19th-century sword-guard adorned with a lonely deer bellowing at the autumn moon, the objects on view are embedded with a rich variety of embellishments that express Japanese values and are representative of the owner’s persona.

This historic material speaks to the evolution of samurai during the Tokugawa era from military warriors to bureaucrats, administrators, and other government officials. Lasting from 1603 to 1868, this period of peace in Japan diminished samurai’s military function and transformed their swords into symbols of power rather than weapons intended to inflict harm. The Tokugawa era also brought about a shift from creating tools of warfare towards decorative objects for samurai. Examples of these works will be on view in the exhibition, including a fully-articulated lobster and dragon (1850–1900), which have been fully conserved by the Museum to reveal the objects’ finely crafted metalwork.

Samurai! has been a highly collaborative process with the Museum’s curatorial, education, and conservation departments,” said guest curator Eric Nakamura, founder of the Los Angeles-based Giant Robot Store and GR2 Gallery. “I am used to working with contemporary artists and illustrators, but looking at historical materials through a contemporary lens has produced truly unique work. A number of surprising parallels can be made—both time periods have flourishing art production, including work in traditional media but also unexpected places, from armor of the past to the streets of the present. As someone at the intersection of Asian and Asian American popular culture, it’s rewarding to introduce visitors to Japanese customs and contemporary art simultaneously.

A special installation in Helmutt’s House will invite family participation and introduce visitors to the world of Usagi Yojimbo, Stan Sakai’s renowned comic book series featuring a rabbit rōnin. Taking place at the beginning of the Edo period, Usagi Yojimbo is largely influenced by Japanese history, folklore, and cinema, including the work of Akira Kurosawa, another figure greatly influenced by the samurai legacy.

In the lead-up to the opening of Samurai!, WAM will host a day-long celebration of Japanese culture on Sunday, March 22 from 11 am – 5 pm. WAM’s Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival invites visitors to enjoy music, games, art making, and performances, and to explore the Museum’s Japanese holdings and special exhibition Uncanny Japan: The Art of Yoshitoshi.

To launch Samurai!, the Museum will host an opening party on Friday, April 17 (7–8 pm for Members; 8–11 pm for the public), with Japanese taiko drummers setting the tone for an evening packed with performances, theatrics, and more. Tickets are $10 for Members, $20 for nonmembers.

On Sunday, May 17 from 11 am to 5 pm, the Museum will host a Star Wars Community Day. Star Wars fans of all ages are invited to dress as their favorite Star Wars character and join Jedi Knights and Imperial Stormtroopers at WAM for a day of “Force-full” fun! The event is free with Museum admission.

Additionally, Festival of Lanterns, the Museum’s Corporators Ball, will be held on Saturday, June 13, a new annual black-tie gala inspired by Samurai, featuring a Japanese-themed menu, silent and live auctions, and dancing.

Posted on by

Worcester Art Museum begins construction on new access bridge

New Access Ramp and Exterior Redesign Will Enhance Pathways Into the Museum for All Visitors

Construction began today on a new accessible walkway and landscaping initiative on the Salisbury Street side of the Worcester Art Museum. Designed by Kulapat Yantrasast of wHY, the “bridge” significantly improves access for visitors, while changes to the adjacent area will create parking spaces for those with disabilities, as well as a more inviting pedestrian pathway into the building. Construction is expected to be completed in spring of next year.

New Access Ramp and Exterior Redesign Will Enhance Pathways Into the Museum for All Visitors
With a light and elegant form, the new bridge compliments the Museum’s neoclassical facade as well as the Roman hunt mosaic in the Renaissance Court. Image courtesy wHY.

“The bridge is symbolic of the Worcester Art Museum’s overall approach to visitors, reflecting our openness and desire to be as welcoming and accessible as possible,” said Matthias Waschek, director. “In 2012, we re- opened the Salisbury Street doors, thereby re-activating this important part of our building. As we considered how to further support access through this historic entrance, we realized that a completely new and innovation solution was needed. wHY’s design for our new access bridge will allow everyone-including those who, for any number of reasons, are unable to use steps-to enter the Museum through our front door, making it an important gesture of hospitality to our visitors. At the same time, we are also committed to preserving the integrity of our historic façade, which wHY has accomplished beautifully.”

The new bridge provides easier access for all visitors. Construction will be done without damaging the integrity of the museum buildings. Image courtesy wHY.
The new bridge provides easier access for all visitors. Construction will be done without damaging the integrity of the museum buildings. Image courtesy wHY.

In addition to emphasizing the Museum’s visitor-focused culture, wHY’s design also reflects the Museum’s diverse holdings by reflecting both historic and contemporary aesthetics. Without altering the Salisbury Street doors or distracting from the formal entrance, the designs honors WAM’s past, while the bridge itself in its sleek design and incorporation of minimal shapes reflects the tastes of today. The bridge’s metallic siding creates a dynamic visual parallel with the columns above. Through the Salisbury doors, the visitor encounters the Museum’s Renaissance Court, which immediately reinforces the diversity of WAM’s collection, with the treasured Hunt mosaic on the floor and, currently, a contemporary photographic mural by Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, as part of the Wall at WAM project.

In addition to the creation of the access bridge itself, the project will re-landscape part of the adjacent area, gracefully connecting the bridge with both new and existing walkways around the Salisbury Street and Lancaster Street sides of the building. By removing 11 parking spaces from directly in front of the Salisbury Street entrance, the area as a whole becomes more open and accessible, and gives greater respect to the Museum’s historic, formal entrance.

These changes are part of a set of strategic goals and initiatives the Museum established under its Vision 2020 plan. Broadly focused on transforming and growing the Museum’s audience, the plan looks at both programmatic and infrastructure changes necessary to increase visitorship and support sustained engagement with families and younger audiences. Under this rubric, the Museum has in recent years re- opened the long-closed doors on its main facade; secured sponsorship support to provide significant free public access during the summer months; become a polling site for the City of Worcester; offered educational programs as part of general admission, thus increasing participation across all programs for all age ranges; and launched an ambitious series of gallery reinstallations—such as [remastered] and the Jeppson Idea Lab—that have focused on helping visitors see the contemporary relevance of art and art history.

The construction project is expected to be completed in spring 2015. During the construction period, the Museum’s Salisbury Street entrance and the adjacent driveway are expected to remain open. Museum parking across Lancaster Street will also remain accessible while the parking spaces in front of the Salisbury Street entrance are closed during construction.

September's progress on Worcester Art Museum's access bridge