Woods in the City
Tokyo is a very clean city, and well maintained. Like New York there is something to do around the clock, and the city never sleeps. We spent today learning the Subway System and challenged ourselves to get to the Tokyo Imperial Gardens and the Tokyo Contemporary Art Museum. It became immediately apparent that there was another whole level to the city we previously knew nothing about. Beneath the streets where we had been walking the night before, was a series of well light spacious tunnels full of shops, it was through these that we made our way to the train. After being challenged by how to purchase tickets and for what amount, for what distance, and how many line transfers, we boarded the train and were on our way. Again it was easy to navigate because of systematic signage and some English directions. The trains are always moving, always punctual and always half to packed with people depending on the time of day.
The Museum was great, we were introduced to a parallel contemporary art movement, and a number of artists were particularly inspiring including:
Seiju Omada
The Scroll of Insects and Fish was a piece that was about 18 feet long and for all intents was a triptych. A traditional eastern approach was taken to the manufacture of the painting on the scroll but the viewpoints and content look as though they may have been produced last week.
Naboru Kitawaki.
I particularly liked the fact he was presenting paintings and objects together.
The final work that resonated for both Julia and I was the Untitled Installation work of Toshikatsu Endo from 1983 from an Exhibition titled “What Lurks in Wood”.
