Artist's Statement >   

Densetsu: Legends of Japan

When we read a story or tell a tale, we recount events that have already happened.  It may be said that the events are recreated every time the story is told.  In this way, these stories only exist because someone, somewhere is experiencing them.  If a story isn't told, it's forgotten forever, until it is rediscovered.   We hear stories and live them in our heads, like a performance, and they become a part of us.

The village in Japan that I lived in for three years has some unique characteristics that signify its historical and cultural significance among other Japanese towns.  Takayama City is secluded in a mountainous region of Japan, Hida, away from the influence of many modern developments taking place in urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka. Because rural country life goes on undisturbed by much modern influence, many folk traditions are preserved.  Each legend portrayed in this series of artwork has significance in the Hida Region as well as personal significance.  These tales are not forgotten because people still talk of them and hold festivals where they act out the roles of the main characters.    I felt that I became a part of this tradition by learning these old stories and bringing them back to America with me. I can now teach others about them through my art.

In this body of work, I illustrate four legends from the fold traditions of Hida, along with the seasons they are associated with.  Like an actress in a play, I play the role of every character in each image.  This was achieved through arranging costumed images of myself onto montages of photographs.  Some of the backgrounds are actual locations in Japan, while others are impressions of places, based on feeling and memory. 

 

 

 

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