Morimura Yasumasa

장소: Osaka

타고난: 1951

전기:

Morimura Yasumasa, born in 1951 in Osaka, Japan, is a contemporary performance and appropriation artist known for his large-scale self-portraits that superimpose himself onto art-historical images or pictures of iconic individuals. His work explores themes of cultural and sexual appropriation, identity, postcolonialism, and the Western view of Japan and Asia.

Early Life and Education

Morimura grew up in a generation that embraced Western values and cultural trends, which would later influence his artistic pursuits. He enrolled in the Kyoto City University of Art, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1978. During his studies, an early interest in photography emerged after taking a course taught by Life magazine photographer Y. Ernest Satow.

Artistic Career

Morimura's artistic process entails a rigorous system in which he transforms his entire body into a nearly identical replica of his designated subject through elaborate costumes, makeup, props, and set designs. Since the 1980s, Morimura has brought his personas to life in short video, film, and live performances, expressing their thoughts through movement and scripted monologues. Some of his notable works include Portrait (Van Gogh), which marked the first of dozens of self-portraits Morimura completed in which he adopted the role of established artists. He has also worked with digital photography and computer editing software to create visually complex compositions, such as Thirty-six Views Of Mt.Fuji - The Great Wave, inspired by the famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Morimura's work can be seen in various museums and galleries, including the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art in Japan. His artistic style has been influenced by Western cultural trends, and he has been compared to other artists who have used appropriation as a strategy, such as Richard Prince and Sherrie Levine.

Themes and Influences

Morimura's work explores various themes, including:

• Cultural Appropriation: Morimura's use of art-historical images and iconic individuals to create his self-portraits challenges the notion of cultural ownership and identity.
• Postcolonialism: Morimura's work reflects on the Western view of Japan and Asia, highlighting the complexities of cultural exchange and representation.
• Identity: Morimura's self-portraits often blur the lines between his own identity and that of the subjects he portrays, raising questions about the nature of identity and its ability to undergo change.

Morimura's work can be seen as a reflection of the complexities of cultural exchange and representation in the postcolonial era. His use of appropriation challenges traditional notions of art and identity, making him a significant figure in contemporary Japanese art. https://Wikioo.org/@/Morimura-Yasumasa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasumasa_Morimura https://Wikioo.org/Art.nsf/O/A@D3CPQB https://Wikioo.org/@@/9EDH4D-Katsushika-Hokusai-Thirty-six-Views-Of-Mt-Fuji-The-Great-Wave