Japan and her Influences

• Back in the 17th Century till the mid 19th Century, Japan was closed off from the world, so no one knew much about its culture or history. But then in 1845 when the ports were finally opened and trade with the world began, a whole new world of gorgeous treasures opened up for the west. Kimonos were being exported, and art blocks as well as people! Western folks fell in love with the new exotic new world! Imagine, being a high-class Lady, surrounded by all the same styles throughout her life, the same style in fashion, and the same culture; then she hears about Japan's open gates, I think I would have been the first to enter its boarders!

Oriental Kimono

Typical Victorian Clothing

Hiroshige

• Born in 1797, he had a samurai background but took after his father's job after both his parents had died, this left him with a lot of free time on his hands. At the age of fourteen, he took up the arts of painting and printing. During this time paintings were done through the block painting technique. It involves wooden blocks with a hand carved 3D relief, when the paint would be applied and printed it creates that sort of negative effect. It is because of this effect that most of his works are distinctive for their mass of bright colour and sharp black outlines. 



"Sea of Satta" by Hiroshige

• In his work "Sea of Satta"  we can clearly see a mass of colour in the sky and the distant hills. The rest seem to have a sort of blend. In the background there is Mt. Fuji, which shows his sens of pride for his beautiful home land. Even though there seems to be little depth in the painting, there is some detail in the ships and birds. 

Vincent Van Gogh

Vincent Van Gogh's "The brige in the Rain"

• Van Gogh is well known for his Post-Impressionistic paintings, such as "Starry Night" or his most famous portraits. But before he painted Post-Impressionism, he was deeply influenced by works from the east, Japonisme.
• In 1887, Van Gogh made a copy of the print "The Bridge in the Rain" by Hiroshige. Van Gogh pays more attention to the detail in the distant background and the colours have more life and are well blended . There still is his distinctive short brush strokes which are typically Van Gogh and Post-Impressionistic. 

Hiroshige's "The bridge in the Rain"

• Japan has always been an influence to me as an artist, from their Manga to their clothes. To learn more about their history and culture will always inspire me to do something creative in their style or involving something with an asian origin. Like a while ago I had this wooden Kimi doll, and I painted her with my water colours using a lot of bright colours which contrast her calm facial expression. A more recent work of mine was done two weeks ago, where I had bought these long Asian paint brushes, and used black ink as a medium. The result was the "Weaping Widow". 

  

  Kimi Doll Yumi 

"Weaping Widow"

Sources-

eHow Contributor, 2014. Japanese Influence on European Art [online] Available at: <http://www.ehow.com/about_6692583_japanese-influence-european-art.html> [Accessed 18th April 2014 ].

Redtree Times, 2011. Hiroshige. [online] Available at: <http://redtreetimes.com/2011/03/15/hiroshige/> [Accessed 18th April 2014].

Van Gogh Gallery, 2013. Japonisme [online] Available at: <http://www.vangoghgallery.com/influences/japonisme.html> [Accessed 18th April 2014].

The Evolution of Cars! (Design)

We live in a time where cars are as common as ants, and in the streets we find a wide variety of cars, from sports cars to land-rovers, each of which are quite evolved from the original idea of fuel powered travel. So how did the design for travel develop? 

• At the turn of the century, people wanted to have carriages without the horses, and the industrial revolution took its toll. Many scientists began working on gasoline powered mechanics. It is believed that a French scientist, Nicholas Joseph Cugnot, invented the first self-propelled automobile in 1769. It's design is quite crude and has a sense of steam-punk (courtesy of the industrial revolution). It almost looks as though a child were playing with Lego and built it to scale. The wooden wheels at the back of the automobile look very similar to the wheels of a horse drawn carriage; this shows that the automobile at this stage lacks the design and focuses on usage.
• During this time period, rail-ways, steamships and telegraphs were blasting through towns and villages. Farmers became more and more socialized, and people traveled more often at an easier comfort. 

World's first self-propelled automobile 1769

Typical Horse Drawn Carriage

• Henry Ford built his first automobile in 1898. Here design kicks in more rapidly, we can see that all the mechanics are hidden beneath the bonnet, there are lanterns and a glass in front of the steering wheel. The seats look like what one might expect for comfort and luxury. It also has a convertible roof, a design still used today, again representing luxury. The wheels are also developed from the basic wooden wheel to a thin rubbery one. Doors only exist for the back seats. 

  

  T-model by Henry Ford 1898

• In 1929 the Doge brothers created a model called the four door Sedan. This care has a more "safer" look as all the passengers are concealed within a steel box, with glass windows of course. It has four doors . Like previous models the mud-guards form one with the step under the doors. The front wheels are slightly larger than the hind wheels, they also support rims which have a unique design. Colour is also important for the buyers, most of these cars do not have a black but more of a matte metallic colour. 

Four-Door Sedan by Doge 1929

Sources-

AhJotahTube, 2009. Invention of the Automobile documentary clip
 [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-xVFzNWdEc> [Accessed 15 April 2014].

Kroplick, H., 2013. The First Self-Propelled Vehicle. vanderbiltcupraces.com, [blog] 29 November. Available at: <http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/video_of_the_week_the_first_self-propelled_vehicle> [Accessed 15 April 2014].