Chronicle Books has an interesting title being released soon, “See/Saw: Connections Between Japanese Art Then And Now”. The book works off a compelling premise, to analyze Japanese contemporary and classical arts, while comparing the unifying threads that run through the fabric of of the country’s art history. The Edo Period’s influences on Takashi Murakami and Yoshimoto Nara’s re-imagining of Buddist sculpture are just two of the many topics covered in the multi-disciplinary book; it’s content ranging from architecture to woodblocks to manga to product packaging. Structured with chapters such as “Animism”, “Jest” and “Awake”, the book flits through time, providing brief nuggets of enlightenment suitable for readers to open the book to a random page, or consume whole thing in one sitting. Clear, concise and informative, highly recommended.
Photography by Antonette Streeter.