[Buddha-l] Kosho Shimizu--Zen monk artist 1911-1999

[jkirk]

Re-sending

  _____  

From: jkirk [mailto:jkirk at spro.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 7:09 AM
To: 'Buddhist discussion forum'
Subject: Kosho Shimizu--Zen monk artist 1911-1999


We don't often get around to Zen monk art (no cracks
please)~~~~~~~
 
Just got these in the mail--next time I'm in SFO will try to see
what Asian Art Mus. has--a few images on the first link can be
zoomed, more stuff on 2d link that can't be zoomed but one can
enlarge the page (mail from a Swiss art dealer). The Japanese,
like every other country that took up Buddhism, infiltrated their
own material and spiritual culture--- IMO in Japan in a
liberating thought-expanding but not 'prapancic' sort of way.
Anybody know where (probably in Japan) the major collection of
his works resides?  Joanna
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http://www.asianart.com/BachmannEckenstein/
 
http://www.bachmanneckenstein.com/exhibitions/present/index.html
 
Kosho Shimizu, born 1911 in Himeji, was a monk, priest and abbot
of Todai-ji temple in Nara. Seki Seisetsu (1877-1945) a prominent
Zen artist was Kosho's teacher when he was young. At that time
Kosho must have had his first intense encounter with Zen art. But
for some reasons he did not engage in the production of art
himself until much later. In the course of his monastic career
Kosho found initial artistic inspiration when he was director of
the temple's kindergarten. He happened to see children creating
clay figures with their hands. He was struck by the creative
process, impulsive and performed without thinking. Kosho started
making first attempts, with much passion, enthusiasm and success.
Over a short period of time he created a huge crowd of clay
figures, of Buddhist imagery, some of which have been cast in
bronze. This first step was followed by works on paper. Small
sized series of everyday scenes, travels, and festivals. All
populated by grotesque monks. This was an eccentric contrast to
the severe and organized monastic world he lived in. Besides from
that Kosho created remarkable paintings and calligraphies. But
Kosho not only worked on paper but also on ceramics. He worked
with different potters and added his art onto theirs. 

Kosho's work is represented in some western museums, most
prominent among them, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and
the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.