Memoirs of Two Geishas

Kinjo and Io 

Geishas have played an important role in Japanese culture since the Edo period, which began in the early 1600s. Contrary to stereotypes perpetuated in popular culture -- think "Memoirs of a Geisha" -- geishas are not sex workers. Instead, they are elegant hostesses who meet with customers only in public settings. They dance and sing and play traditional Japanese instruments like taiko drums. We learned this and more when we sat down with geishas Kinjo and Io, both of whom have had long careers in this very foreign line of work. It was fascinating. 

When Io was 18 years old, a friend asked her if she was interested in trying her hand at being a geisha. The pay was three times the amount she was making working in an office setting -- with the potential to earn much more -- so she decided to give it a try. She quickly learned that what most customers wanted was to have someone listen in a sympathetic manner as they spoke about their lives and concerns. Talking about personal feelings is not a part of Japanese culture the way it is in the United States. This she could do, and so began her long career.  

Kinjo

Kinjo too became a geisha when she was young -- just 19 years old. Her parents were a bit worried about her career choice. Even they had old stereotypes in mind. They were also concerned that people would believe they had forced her into the profession. (In days of yore, parents sometimes sold their daughters into the geisha business.) Kinjo made it clear that the decision to work as a geisha had been fully her own.  

Becoming a geisha in Hakone is a real profession, complete with mandatory training program. Yes, in order to be licensed by the Hakone Geisha Association, a geisha wanna be must complete a training program. The geisha business is regulated more generally under the Act on Regulations of Businesses Affecting Public Morals and Proper Operation of Such Businesses, but we didn't get into the details of those regulations. 

Dancing is the first skill a young woman learns. Like the geishas themselves, the style of dance is restrained and elegant. Kinjo seemed to glide across the floor as she gave us a short demonstration. Other skills geishas-in-training learn include flower arranging and hosting tea ceremonies. 

Both women are mother geishas, which means they run their own houses where both geishas in training and established geishas can live. In order to achieve this status, a geisha has to work at her craft at least seven years, pass an exam and obtain the permission of both her own mother geisha and the Geisha Association. The geisha business is big in Hakone, with 30 operating houses for a workforce of 140 strong. They typically entertain in public spaces in hotels at the request of hotel guests. 

Io 

The women opened the floor to questions, and there were many. Yes, geishas can be married and have children. (The women declined to provide these details about their own lives.) Yes, there are occasionally female customers. In fact, an association of female presidents of companies recently engaged geishas to entertain their group. Sometimes couples hire a geisha to entertain them, which sounds a bit creepy to me. There is no retirement age, and one working geisha in Hakone is 80 years old. 

As for the stereotypic appearance of geishas in popular culture, geishas only wear white paint on their faces today for special events. The tradition began at a time when dim lighting was an issue and the women painted their faces to be visible to their clients. 

Kimonos of course are the uniform of geishas. Each woman has 50+ silk kimonos of varying weights and designs in her closet. Their obis are always tied in the back. In the olden days, prostitutes tied their obis in the front for ease of access. 

With that, our time with Kinjo and Io was over. It was a fascinating peek into a part of Japanese culture quite foreign to our own.

Next up: Our visit to Mount Fuji  

 

Visiting The Hakone Open-Air Museum

"Sphere within a Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro

I wasn't expecting to see any contemporary art on my trip to Japan. Ceramics, sure. Laquer, definitely. But artwork by internationally known artists, not so much. And so I was surprised -- and delighted -- when we visited the Open-Air Museum in Hakone. It was a fun addition to our itinerary. 

"Sphere within a Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro gets my vote for the most striking work we encountered. The cracked shell of the orb represents the fragile and fractured state of human civilization, politics and the earth. The cityscape of an ideal city is more hopeful,  

Pomodoro is an artist new to me. I wasn't surprised to learn that he began his career as a set designer. "Sphere within a Sphere" draws the viewer into another world just as a good set design does. It's from a series of works, one of which was given to the United Nations by the Italian government. I'll have to check it out the next time I'm in the City. For now, we can all see it by clicking here. Whle the work is intended to be hopeful, it feels as broken to me as the world in which are living. Moving on...

"The Weeper" by Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne (1986) 

I suspect you've had the experience of learning a new word and soon thereafter seeing it again. It's always surprisingly satisfying, but it also makes me wonder if I just wasn't paying attention before. I had a similar experience when coming upon this sculpture by Francois-Xavier and Claude Lalanne so soon after "discovering" their work in the Met Costume Art exhibit. I am officially enamored of their art.

The placard described the work this way: "Just as Narcissus from Greek mythology fell in love with his own reflection and was reborn as a flower of the same name, this angel rests its cheek near the surface of the water. Despite shedding endless tears of unrequited love, a smile seems to play on its lips.." Despite the title -- and the darker tones near the eyes that I now understand are tears -- the work didn't strike me as somber. Instead, its beauty emitted a feeling of restfulness. Either way, it's perfect for a sculpture garden with the live greenery as hair. For more on this artistic duo, click here. 

"Symphonic Sculpture" by Gabriel Loire

Gabriel Loire's "Symphonic Sculpture" was a true art experience. I was going to say it was like climbing inside a 59' stained glass window, but we actually DID climb inside a 59' tall stained glass window. It was very cool. As a bonus, visitors who make it to the top are rewarded with views of the sculpture garden and Hakone. 

It didn't surprise me to learn that Loire spent time in Chartres given the cathedral-like feel of "Symphonic Sculpture." What did surprise me was learning that he worked in other mediums for a ten year period for legal reasons. What? 

When Loire was a young artist, he trained and then worked at the studio of Charles Lorin Glass Workshop. Over time, Loire began to feel artistically limited by the structure of the workshop and decided to strike out on his own. But there was an issue. He had signed a non-compete relating to the creation of art using the stained glass techinques he learned at the workshop. And so Loire worked in a variety of other artistic mediums during this period, creating ceramics, illustrations and furniture. I'm sure that work is beautiful and that developing skills in these other mediums ultimately strengthened his artistic practice, but I still think he could have used a good lawyer. For a bit more on Loire and his art, click here.

"Close III" by Antony Gormley (1993)

I'll leave you with "Close III" by Antony Gormley. As my trip to Japan draws to a close, I can relate to the feeling conveyed by this work -- or so I thought until I read the description. "A number of artistic interpretations are possible with this sculpture: perhaps it alludes to the weight of one's own body or to the movement of the planet; perhaps it's an image of celestial bodies communing with us, or a symbol of fear being exposed to the harsh light of the universe." Whoa. I was thinking more plain old fatigue, both physical and emotional given the state of our world. 

Gormley is an artist whose work I've seen before at the Norton Museum of Art. (Click here to see that work.) It's hard not to interact with his work, but I thought it might be a bit impolite to lie down beside this sculpture and recreate the pose. The Japanese are a bit more buttoned up than this American. 

Antony Gormley in plaster

I was interested to learn that Gormley often uses his own body to cast his sculptures. It's a unique style of using a found object. I like it. I came upon an article about Gromley using "Body as Place" that you can read by clicking here if you want a more intellectual look at his work than what's on offer here. What I will say is that creating these works is a bit dicey. Gormely has to be coated in Vaseline before being wrapped in a plaster with only two small breathing holes left exposed. About an hour later, an assistant chisels the plaster open -- very carefully -- and Gormley slips out. It is crazy. For more on Gormley and his art, click here. 

With that, I'll say sayonara for now. Up next: Our encounter with two geishas. 

Sumo Wrestling 101

Trying to move Koto to no avail -- the video is hilarious

When Andrea suggested Japan as a vacation destination, it was the thought of meeting sumo wrestlers that made me say yes. No, I'm not a closet sumo wrestling fan, but the opportunity to get up close and personal with some supersized human beings who have dedicated their lives to this ancient sport was intriguing. So I was thrilled that our tour itinerary kicked off with a visit to a sumo wrestling studio where we met Kumago and Koto. Read on for some of the information we learned during our visit. 

Sparring

 --There are no weight classifications in sumo. So Kumago (who weighed 400 pounds while competing) might have fought Koto even though he weighed a mere 310 pounds during his career. The heaviest sumo wrestler ever was Orora Satoshi, a fighter who tipped the scales at 645 pounds. Yikes. 

--Although size matters when you’re a rikishi (another word for a sumo wrestler), being larger does have its disadvantages. Smaller wrestlers often are speedier and have better technique.

--It’s not easy to maintain that weight. Rikishis typically consume 10,000 calories a day, mostly in the form of rice. A single meal often includes 10 bowls of rice. It’s paired with chanko, basically a chicken and vegetable soup. We partook of this lunch (in moderation) during our visit. The chanko needed salt.

--The objective of a sumo match is to push your opponent out of the 15’ ring or to get your opponent to touch the ground with a body part other than his feet. If even a lock of a rikishi’s hair touches the ground during a match, he loses. The ring is layered with sand, so it’s challenging to stay within the diameter. Strong toes are a must.

Warm up stomps

--Each match includes a warm up of 300 stomps, which are shown in this photo. Once the match starts, though, it’s best to keep both feet on the ground as much as possible to maintain your balance. Our new friends also practiced crashing into each other, which was something to see.

--There are 82 “finishing moves” to a match. Kumago and Koto demonstrated three of these techniques –  frontal push out (this is the move I tried on Koto with absolutely no effect), push out by grabbing your opponent’s mawashi (loin cloth belt) and grabbing your opponent’s mawashi over your arm and throwing your opponent to the ground.

--There are eight prohibited actions that result in immediate disqualification. They include intentionally grabbing your opponent’s top knot, striking your opponent with your fist and poking your opponent in the eye with your fingers. Kicking your opponent above his mawashi is also verboten, although leg sweeps and tripping are okay.  

More warm up moves

--The average match lasts a mere seven seconds. Four minutes is the maximum amount of time a match can run before a break is called. These guys are working hard. (And yes, in accordance with Shinto traditions, it’s only men.) In addition to the exertion required, sumo wrestlers often stop breathing while fighting so they can push as hard as possible.

--Before a match begins, rikishi engage in a ritual of purification, which includes taking an oath to fight openly and squarely. When the match is over, there is no taunting or celebrating as we see in American sports. To do so would be considered a sign of disrespect to your opponent.

--Young men can begin training to be professional sumo wrestlers as young as 15 years old. (Participation in recreational sumo often begins in elementary school.) The goal is to become one of the top ten percent of rikishis in the country. This translates into approximately 70 fighters. These top athletes are paid the equivalent of $7500/month by the government in addition to whatever sponsorship support they might have. Rankings are updated six times a year after each official 15-day tournament. 

--Beginning sumo wrestlers, along with rikishi who are not ranked, typically live in a communal training stable. In exchange for room and board, they are responsible for cleaning, cooking and other chores. The more junior the rikishi, the more chores they have to do. The junior guys also serve as sparring partners for the more seasoned rikishi, which I'm sure is both humbling and a great learning opportunity. 

I left the studio with a much better understanding and appreciation of the sport. I’m not going to subscribe to the sumo wrestling channel any time soon, but I enjoyed getting a look into this world. Our adventure was off to a great start. 

Chopstick Making 101

With my uncarved purpleheart 

When Andrea suggested we take a chopstick making class during our trip to Japan, I was all in. I imagined us sitting at a table with paint -- maybe goldleaf -- and decorating pre-made chopsticks. Not exactly in my wheelhouse, but it sounded like fun. Instead, we actually made chopsticks from rectangular pieces of wood. Sure, we didn't have to chop down the trees, but it was more of a thing than I had expected. It was great fun. 

We started by picking the wood from which we would make our chopsticks. We both chose purpleheart because of its unusual color. We learned all too soon that it is the hardest of the woods to carve. Note: They did tell us this in advance -- multiple times -- but we figured how hard could it be? The answer: Pretty darn hard.

Our equipment for the task ahead was a kanna, a Japanese wood plane. You lock the piece of wood into it and then push the blade back and forth to shave the wood down. Trust me when I say that this was not easy. Sure, the first few shaves were a piece of cake. After all, there was a lot of wood protruding from its locked position at the beginning. But pretty quickly you get to a point where some real work is involved. At times I actually broke a sweat trying to get slivers of the wood to come off. (I'm not exaggerating.) I had to  position myself in a lunge-like stance in order to get the blade to move. It was crazy! 

It was also quite humbling when one of the helpers would come over and say, "Can I take over for a little bit?" "Yes!" I enthusiastically replied several times, thinking that we might otherwise spend the rest of our vacation there. Then she would easily plane the wood down a bit before turning it back over to the true amateur. (Keep in mind that you have to plane all four sides of the nascent chopstick, so it really is a process.)

Andrea sanding -- and a portion of her shavings 
 

Once you get the wood planed down to a manageable point, you use sandpaper to refine the shape and to get rid of any little notches created during the planing process. (I know, hard to believe that would happen with me at the controls, but it did.) Our chopsticks have squared off corners. Not exactly traditional, but it does make them unique. 

Finally, our chopsticks were almost done. Then came the really challenging part -- the personalization. We were presented with choices of symbols for each sound in our name. For the "Na" in my name, I had to select from the symbol for "Guidance/Fruit" (associated with abundance and guiding people to peace), "Calm/Stillness" (the serene moment when the sea is calm, representing peace) and "Greens/Nature" (representing natural vitality, growth and a fresh personality). It seemd like a bigger decision than I was prepared to make, especially in my jetlagged state. Obviously, Calm/Stillness could be immediately eliminated, but it was a toss up between the other two. (I ended up going with Greens/Nature -- I love The Bay!)  Three more decisions later, the inscription was done. It was a special touch that I hadn't expected. 

All in all, our trip was off to a great start. I decided to go on this adventure because of the experiences we'll be having. Over the course of our travels, we'll meet with former geishas, ride a bullet train (twice), visit a gold leaf factory and more. In fact, today we met some former sumo wrestlers and watched a demonstration. I even got to participate! Stay tuned for more on that experience. 

 

 

Art as Declaration at the New York Public Library

From Glenn Ligon "Runaways" series (1993)

Despite having worked across the street from the New York Public Library for a number of years, I never crossed its threshold until my most recent visit to New York. Shame on me! What a gorgeous space - not to mention a killer gift shop that rivals that of any museum. But what brought me there wasn't the shopping opportunity; it was an exhibit entitled "Art as Declaration." The show takes a look at the ways contemporary artists have "reframed and reimagined" the promises of the Declaration of Independence 250 years after our country's founding. It's incredibly powerful. 

I'll start with Ligon's series lithographs inspired by slave runaway ads. They will stay with me for a long time. To create the works, Ligon asked 10 friends how they would describe him. The text in each work starts "Ran away, Glenn" and goes on to repeat one of those descriptions. Whoa. I can't imagine the intensity of emotions Ligon must have felt while creating this series. To see the series in its entirety -- with legible text (sorry!)-- click here. And for more on Ligon and his work, click here. 

"Marcus Garvey Vitamins" by David Hammons

David Hammons' "Marcus Garvey Vitamins" was another standout. Garvey was a Jamaican political activist who advocated for Black financial and cultural independence from white systems of power and governance. He championed Pan-African independence and designed the Pan-African Flag. The red, green and black flag represents Pan-Africanism, Black liberation, and people of African descent around the world. 

You can't tell from this image, but the "vitamins" (jelly beans) are the same colors as the Pan-African flag. Hammons once said, "outrageously magical things happen when you mess around with a symbol." This work is one example of him taking this approach. 

Hammons' choice of jelly beans as the vitamins was more than a matter of convenience. He considered their use -- along with that of an old honey jar -- as a means of transforming everyday items you could find at a bodega into "a superpower of radical political spirit, civic power and imagination." The further implication is that these "vitamins" would help the person taking them channel the power of Pan-African history in his or her life. I like it. 

"Holy Bible, King James Version,
, Self-published" by Robert The (1995)

I'm not a religious person, but Robert The's "Holy Bible, King James Version" was quite unsettling. The's practice is focused on carving used and discarded books into sculptural forms. He has to use a power saw to create his work given the density of compressed paper. Like most transformations, tt's a hard, messy process. 

One description of his work noted that The "'vandalizes back to life' discarded or thrift-store books to make a statement about cultural consumption and the erosion of meaning," so there's a connection there between the intention of his work and Hammons' "Marcus Garvey Vitamins." The intention behind his "Holy Bible" was "to conflate and confuse the relationships between protection, faith and violence." There's a lot to unpack there. My immediate thought was to the violence of the Crusades, but there are plenty of modern day examples, including the purported religious rationale of the 9/11 terrorists. To see more examples of The's book art, click here. 

With that, I'll leave you with an exhortation to see the exhibit if you're in the NY area. It's running through January 10th. For more on the show -- and the other ways the NY Public Library is celebrating our nation's 250th birthday -- click here. 

New African Masquerade at the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts

Idem Ikwo Ekpe Masquerade Ensemble
by Chief Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, Efik Culture, Nigeria 

I have long been intrigued by African masks. In fact, I have a small collection from a trip to Tanzania many years ago. While they are visually interesting, they don't hold a candle to the masquerade costumes now on display at the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts. Talk about a "wow" of an exhibit. 

"New African Masquerade" was mounted by the New Orleans Museum of Art in partnership with the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, Senegal. The signage noted that the creators of the costumes were involved in the development of the show. The artists' participation both elimates concerns of cultural appropriation and ensures that the exhibit is an authentic celebration of their work and its meaning. With that nugget of information in hand, we headed into the show. 

My favorite costume in the exhibit was this ensemble by Idem Ikwo Ekpe Masquerade. (It was a hard choice.) I love the raffia collar (the "mane") and ankle cuffs. The symbols on the mane represent Oku Akama, or the Destroyer. Oku Akama is a all-male level in the Ekpe society. The Destroyer uses force to challenge wrongdoing, but does so judicially. 

The foliage the figure holds is from the oboti tree and is used in purification rites. The way the leaves extend from the figure's hand represents the striking paws of the forest leopard or lion spirit. All in all, the costume makes for an intimidating figure.  

Tso Scream Mask by Herve Youmbi
and other Cameroonian artists 

Then there was this terrifying costume, which made me think of Munch's "The Scream." I wasn't far off. The reference instead is to the Ghostface character in the Scream movies. (Click here if you, like I, have not seen those flicks.) 

Before creating this costume, Youmbi received the permission of tribal elders to the incorporation of this iconography. By getting the elders' approval, the masquerade moved beyond being commercial in nature. In fact, this specific costume was used in tribal ceremonies before becoming a part of the exhibit. 

Having done a shallow dive into the Ghostface character, the appeal of using him as a model for this costume is still unclear to me. In the movies, Ghostface is a sadistic killer. In real life, members of this society have the job of enforcing traditional rules and customs and supporting the king. So the Cameroonian character is justice oriented. I certainly would be scared straight if this figure came to have a quiet talk with me...

The elephant-like appearance of the mask and lizards such as the one on the top of the hat, for lack of a better word, indicate the role of mediator, especially between the living and the dead. Got it. The horsetalk whisk near the left hand of the figure is also an integral part of the costume. Whisks like this one are used in rituals that celebrate bravery and victory. It also gives me a bit of a fright. Time to move on to something a bit friendlier...

"Woman Man Tote" figure
by Sheku "Goldfinger" Fofanah

Last up is a work from Sheku "Goldfinger" Fofanah's "Woman Tote Man" series. Apologies for the poor quality of the photo. The detail in this costume is mindboggling. Like most -- if not all -- of the costumes in this exhibit, its creation was a collaborative effort. 

What I particularly like about Fofahan's costumes is that they celebrate the role and power of women in West African society. If you look carefully, you'll see that there is a man riding on top of the female figure. His reliance on her is physical as well as emotional. Very progressive! 

With that, I'll leave you with an exhortation to see the exhibit if you're in the area. It runs through January 3rd and would be a terrific outing if you have company visiting over the holidays. If you do go, don't miss the video, which shows some masquerade in action. 

For more on the exhibit (including some great images), click here and here. Thanks to the St. Pete MFA for bringing the show to our area. 

Now on at Art Center Sarasota

"Lone Ranger Crossing the Alps" by Daniel Jensen

Art Center Sarasota is currently home to an exhibit entitled "Icons." The theme is defined further as "a visual exploration of figures, symbols and moments that shape culture, influence society and transcend time." The concept gives artists a lot of latitude -- and they took it. It's a strong show. 

Daniel Jensen's "Lone Ranger Crossing the Alps" is brilliant. You might laugh at first to see the Lone Ranger and his trusty Silver featured in this work. Isn't he essentially a comic strip character? I would have thought so, but the concept behind this character, as conceived by television show writer Fran Striker, is more elevated. The Lone Ranger's "moral code" begins "I believe that to have a friend, you must be one." Click here to read his entire credo.

I am totally on board with this philosophy, but the Lone Ranger's origin story isn't what attracted me to this image. It's the way Jensen has drawn on art history and traditions in his depiction. The painting refers to Jacques Louis David's "Napoleon Crossing the Alps," which you can see by clicking here. Sure, David's painting isn't historically accurate, but that's a story for another day. 

Then there's Jensen's use of gold leaf as the background. This immediately brought to mind religious paintings, but its incorporation has broader meaning. Gold leaf is associated not only with divinity but with immortality and -- of course -- wealth. Using the material as the background here raises the Lone Ranger's status to something beyond the mere commercial. I love it. For more of Jensen's work, click here. 

"Sign of the Times" by Tom Cawthon

Given the amount of Diet Coke I drink, it's not surprising that I was attracted to Tom Cawthon's "Sign of the Times." (I'll beat you to it -- the deterioration of this sign is likely representative of what's happened to my insides, but we'll forget about that for right now.) As an(other) aside, I learned not too long ago that Diet Coke was introduced when I was in college. It was a better option than Tab (ugh), but now I am truly digressing. 

Cawthon was drawn to photography at a young age. He grew up in Tallahassee, a city that provided access to both natural beauty and the thrill of college sports. Cawthon is one of those fortunate people who parlayed his passion into a job. He worked for 40 years leading commercial designers, photographers and videographers in the corporate world. Once he retired, Cawthon returned to a more hands on role in capturing the shot. 

I reached out to Cawthon to find out what it was about this image that captured his interest. I learned that he came upon the ad on the side of a grocery store in Belize. What inspired him to take the shot was the way it exemplified the fleeting but pervasive nature of advertising while simultaneously celebrating the endurance of recognizable symbols. I like it. For more about Cawthon and his work, click here.

"Iconic Cigar Makers of Tampa" by Darryl Goldman

I was also drawn to Darryl Goldman's "Iconic Cigar Makers of Tampa." How could I not be after having toured the J.C. Newman Cigar Factory in Ybor City and seeing "Anna in the Tropics" at Asolo Rep earlier this year? In case you're not familiar with the show, it's set in a cigar factory and features a lecter who reads to the cigar workers to distract them from the repetitious nature of their jobs. (Today's workers all had earbuds in.) Jimmy Smits played the reader in the show on Broadway, which I'm sorry I didn't catch. 

I saw on FB that there's now a little red dot on the wall card for this work. Congrats to Goldman for the sale! I also learned that Goldman is working on a companion piece featuring the historic Columbia restaurant in Ybor City. I hope we'll get a chance to see that work when it's done.  

In this great interview with Goldman, he shares a bit of his history. He has created art from a young age. His work showed enough promise that his mother thought he was lying when he showed her a painting he'd done at school -- and threatened to spank him for lying! After checking with the art teacher who confirmed the work was his, his mom signed him up for weekly classes. Hopefully she also apologized.

Despite his talent, Goldman's calling was as a minister; his career included time as a chaplain in the Army. Once he retired, he returned to his love to making art. For more on Goldman and his art, click here. 

"Untitled #3" by Antoine Williams

Also on display is a solo show by Antoine Williams entitled "Putting Breath in the Body." His work is terrific. My photos, not so much.This picture doesn't begin to capture the depth of color in what Williams calls "Untitled #3." I prefer to be given a title so I have a sense of the artist's mindset. (That sounds so much better than "I'm intellectually lazy and want to be spoonfed," doesn't it?) But I'll carry on. 

Everything about this image engages me. I love the grandmotherly figure who looks out at the camera in a straightforward manner. "Yes, I'm here," she seems to be saying. But where is "here?" In a park? At a bus stop? And why is she dressed for an entirely different season than the child sitting next to her?  It's left to the viewer to decide, and that's before we get to the mask sitting next to the child. 

So, the mask. What culture is it from? Why is it there? It doesn't seem to be particularly friendly given the bared teeth. Is it protecting the woman and child or does it want them to also stay away? I have so many questions -- in a good way. For a great piece on Williams and his art, click here. 

Both exhibits continue at Art Center Sarasota through September 26th. For more information, click here. They are definitely worth seeing.