Influences |
Japonism |
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| When the Japanese Government opened Japan to trade in the mid nineteenth century, the west saw an influx in the import of Japanese goods. This new art form became highly influential to not only the artistic trends of the time and that of the generations that followed but also influenced buying and collecting trends. | |||
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Scene from The Tale of Genji By Sumiyoshi Hiomichi 17th Century British Museum, London |
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| This influence was
prevalent in Britain at the time which Talwin Morris followed, and can be seen in the work
of James McNeill Whistler, and also in the Symbolist artists. This influence is shown through the use
of a flattened perspective, and a two dimensional linear style. With this absence of
central perspective, along with the expressive linear lines or organic form, the style
itself is ideal to apply to a flat surface of book design. Within the composition
there can also be cutting of of details within the composition and instead of the
perspective moving into the the picture space there was a tendency to move up the picture
space. These stylistic characteristics can be seen in the image above, which
demonstrates not only this use of perspective but also its effect in creating a flat
decorative effect. Along with these stylistic characteristics, there was another Japanese influence. In Western Society, the Hierarchy of Genres shows that History painting is the highest of all art forms. This however was different in Japan which placed significant importance upon items such as laquerware and porcelain. These objects would have been of lower importance to the West before this time. These objects then became very important and can be seen in the way in which Blackie and Sons placed artistic emphasis upon the book cover, which had previously been of little importance. |
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| Masterman Ready Blackie and Sons |
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Fujiyama Der Ewige Berg Japans Hokusai Page 11 |
| This book cover show
influence of Japanese wood cuts in its use of a flattened perspective and also in the way
in which the eye is lead from the bottom of the cover up into space at the top of the
cover. This design denies western perspective and at the same time creates a highly
decorative effect, which is ideal for the purpose which it serves. The use of highly abstracted trees and birds shows this influence, especially as they add to the path lead through the design. |
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| Warner's Chase By Annie S. Swan Blackie and Sons |
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Arihara no Narihira Ason watching maple leaves floating down the Tatsuta river Utagawa Kuniyoshi 1840-1842 |
| This book displays
influence of Japanese art which, as discussed above, was highly influential around the
time which Talwin Morris worked. This influence could be felt through the works of The Glasgow School, especially through the works of Henry and Hornel. This book cover shows this influence because it displays an cropped image of vegetation, which was often seen in the woodcut designs Japan. This is also shown in Talwin's Morris' use of a motif which is obvious in the bottom left hand corner of the cover which was also used by Woodcut artists as a means of signature. This use of Japanese elements is discussed by Alistair Duncan who states that "The Japanese artist drew his inspiration from nature, which Western painters were quick to assimilate into their work. Bamboo, carp, wisteria, cherry blossoms and water lilies gained prominence in the West's decorative repertoire", and this can obviously be seen in the book cover design above which includes organic forms which resemble the bamboo forms used by Japanese artists. |
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| Return to Talwin Morris' Influences | |||
| References | |||