Shirakaba and Japanese Modernism: Art Magazines, Artistic Collectives, and the Early Avant-Garde

275 Pages·2018·19.156 MB·English

by  Erin Schoneveld

shirakaba and japanese modernism
art magazines, artistic collectives, and the early avant-garde
japanese visual culture
Volume 18
Managing Editor
John T. Carpenter
Shirakaba and
Japanese Modernism
Art Magazines, Artistic Collectives,
and the Early Avant-garde
by
erin schoneveld
Leiden – Boston
2019
Published by Copyright 2019 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden,
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For Elena
Contents
Acknowledgments viii
Note to the Reader xi
introduction 1
The Bunten, Bijutsu, and the Winds of Change 3
Japanese Modernism and the Early Avant-garde 11
Expanding the Scope of Shirakaba Studies 13
About the Book 17
1 the art magazine 21
Emergence of the Art Magazine 24
Coterie Magazines and the Birth of Shirakaba 29
The Materiality of Shirakaba 36
Shirakaba Ideology: Artistic Autonomy and the Cult of the Individual 42
2 conversations with european modernism 51
Paul Cézanne 52
Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin 61
Heinrich Vogeler and Auguste Rodin 69
3 shirakaba and modernism in japan 85
The “Conventions of Painting” Debate 88
“The Revolutionary Artist” 98
4 revolutionary art, revolutionary artists:
takamura kōtarō, umehara ryūzaburō, and kishida ryūsei 113
Takamura Kōtarō 115
Umehara Ryūzaburō 129
Kishida Ryūsei 144
5 from the avant-garde to the institution:
the evolving exhibition practices of shirakaba 161
Alternative Exhibition Spaces 163
Shirakaba-Sponsored Art Exhibitions 165
Envisioning a Shirakaba Museum 189
6 the legacy of shirakaba 201
Epilogue 204
Appendices 208
I: Yangai Sōetsu’s “The Revolutionary Artist” 208
II: Exhibitions Organized by the Shirakaba Group 220
Endnotes 221
List of Characters 240
Bibliography 243
Index 257
Acknowledgments
From the initial stages of my research guage Area Studies Fellowship and the History of
and writing for this book I have benefi ted Art Department’s Goldman and Farquhar Travel
enormously from the guidance, support, Fellowships for summer research in Japan, and later
and encouragement of a great many people. First a Mellon Graduate Research Fellowship through
and foremost, I would like to express immense the Penn Humanities Forum. A Japan Foundation
thanks and gratitude to my teacher and mentor Fellowship made it possible for me to spend a year
Julie Nelson Davis. The seeds for this project were conducting research in Tokyo at Gakushūin Uni-
sewn in her modern Japanese painting course at versity under the tutelage of Professor Kobayashi
the University of Pennsylvania, where I was one of Tadashi. I am deeply grateful to Professor Kob-
Julie’s fi rst graduate students. I am grateful for Jul- ayashi’s generous support during my year in Japan,
ie’s expert guidance during every phase of my which included the opportunity to participate in his
scholarly career, from establishing the academic graduate research seminar and trips and to share
foundation on which my study of Japanese art his- the early stages of my work with him and his stu-
tory has been built to encouraging my interests in dents. Sincere thanks are also extended to the cura-
print media and modern art. She pushed me intel- tors and staff at the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art,
lectually during all stages of the dissertation pro- the Abiko Shirakaba Literature Museum, the
cess, inspiring me to see this project through. I am Gakushūin University Museum of History, the
also indebted to my Philadelphia family, which in- Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature, the Ki-
cludes faculty, fellow graduate students, staff , and yoharu Shirakaba Art Museum, the Mushanokōji
friends in the University of Pennsylvania’s History Saneatsu Memorial Museum, as well as the staff at
of Art Department, East Asian Languages and the Tokyo Metropolitan Library, the National Diet
Civilizations Department, Fisher Fine Arts Li- Library, and the Research Library at the Tokyo Mu-
brary, and Van Pelt Library. My time spent at Penn seum of Modern Art, among others. I would like to
was some of the best and hardest years of my life, thank all of my colleagues in the Modern Japan His-
and it was certainly made better by the knowledge, tory Workshop at Waseda University and especially
support, and encouragement of faculty, including the dissertation-writing group, which included Su-
Linda Chance, André Dombrowski, Ayako Kano, san Furukawa, Meghen Jones, and Kari Shepherd-
Robert Ousterhout, Karen Redrobe, Larry Silver, son-Scott, all of whom created an intellectually
and Nancy Steinhardt. I would especially like to supportive and collaborative community during
thank my dissertation committee members Julie the early phases of my research. A special acknowl-
Nelson Davis, Ayako Kano, and André Dom- edgment also to Eto Chiyo, Katō Akiko, and Takeda
browski, whose expertise and wise counsel were Reiko whose friendship, support, and assistance
critical to my scholarly development, particularly while living in Japan made my research possible.
in thinking across the boundaries of modern art I am also greatly indebted to scholars in the fi eld
and literature. I would also like to acknowledge Na- of Japanese art and literature whose exemplary
oko Adachi, Kathlene Baldanza, Kevin Hatch, work, generosity, and collegiality have inspired me
Quintanna Heathman, Jeannie Kenmotsu, Alban and resulted in greater intellectual insight. I would
Kojima, Jeehyun Lee, Miya Tokumitsu, Kaori Uno, like to single out Claire Cuccio, Alicia Volk, and
and Julia Walker. Andrew Watsky for sharing their resources and
The initial preparation and research for this comments during the initial stages of my research
project was supported through the Foreign Lan- and writing. As the project progressed and I pre-
viii
shirakaba and japanese modernism
sented my work at various academic conferences, would also like to thank my colleagues Tomoko Sa-
symposia, and workshops I benefi tted greatly from komura and Will Gardner in the Departments of
the conversations, ideas, suggestions, and feedback the History of Art and Asian Studies, respectively,
from Jonathan Abel, Maki Kaneko, Nozomi Naoi, at Swarthmore College.
Ann Sherif, Bert Winther-Tamaki, Toshio Wata- Institutional support in the form of time and
nabe, Gabe Weisberg, and Gennifer Weisenfeld. funds has made this book project possible, and I
At Haverford College I have found an incredible would like to acknowledge the Offi ce of the Provost
community of scholars and friends who have of- at Haverford College, which has generously under-
fered their counsel, support, and encouragement written my work through the Faculty Research
every step along this path. I have profi ted enor- Grant and Summer Research Assistant Grants.
mously from the leadership and mentoring of my Thanks also go to the Department of East Asian
East Asian Languages and Cultures colleagues Languages and Cultures Agnes Chen Fund. I have
Hank Glassman and Paul Smith, who have both also benefi tted from the support of the Henry Luce
given me great insight, encouragement, and sup- Foundation Post–Doctoral Fellowship and the
port since my arrival at Haverford. My Japan Stud- Metropolitan Center for Far East Asian Art Stud-
ies colleagues Tetsuya Sato, Kimiko Suzuki, and ies Individual Research Grant in the publication of
Minako Kobayashi who have generously assisted this volume.
me in my research. I am also grateful to my Visual I would like to thank the Editorial Board of
Studies colleagues Lindsay Reckson, Christina Brill’s Japanese Visual Culture Series for the op-
Knight, Laura McGrane, Vicky Funari, and John portunity to publish my work and to express my
Muse, who have all inspired me to think more criti- sincere appreciation to Inge Klompmakers and
cally and collaboratively about the power of images Anna Beerens, who have been extremely helpful,
and their place within society. Terry Snyder and the patient, and supportive during every phase of the
staff at Haverford’s Lutnick Library, especially An- publication process. I am incredibly grateful to my
na-Alexandra Fodde-Reguer, Rob Haley, and Julie brilliant editor Amy Reigle Newland, whose dedi-
Coy, were instrumental in assisting me to locate cation to this project, along with her expertise and
various scholarly texts and image sources. Special encouragement throughout all the various stages of
thanks are also extended to Laura Been, Kathryne text revision, have utterly transformed this manu-
Corbin, Yifan Feng, Honglan Huang, Shizhe script, bringing clarity and eloquence to my prose. I
Huang, Patrick Montero, and my students. would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers
This wonderful community of scholars likewise for their invaluable comments and feedback on the
extends to my colleagues at Bryn Mawr and book manuscript—any errors in this publication
Swarthmore Colleges, and I would like to thank are completely my own.
Shiamin Kwa in the Department of East Asian Lan- I am endlessly thankful for my family without
guages and Cultures as well as Alicia Walker, Ste- whom this book project would not have been possi-
ven Levine, and Lisa Saltzman in the History of Art ble. Mark, Soren, River, and Mira, your uncondi-
Department at Bryn Mawr College. I have gained tional love and support inspires my work and fi lls
much from the presentation of my work at the Vis- my heart with happiness. And, fi nally, I dedicate this
ual Studies Colloquium at Bryn Mawr College. I book to my daughter Elena: I will love you always.
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