Objectives

Japanese art after 1392 is a story of both irresistible influences and aesthetic isolation. It is also the story of the persistence of a Japanese attitude about light, color, space, and materials. Political turmoil erupts again and again and the arts in Japan respond to the turmoil, yet also go on about their "own business."

Goals for this chapter include:

• Develop a chronological structure on which to hang artistic developments by learning the sequence of the various "periods."

• Watch the rise, fall, and rise again of Zen Buddhism as a major artistic force.

• Identify those influences that from time to time replaced Zen as primary inspiration.

• Learn to appreciate the Japanese sensitivity to the nature of materials.

• Learn to recognize and understand the force of asymmetry as a compositional structure.

• Begin to appreciate the role of paradox, contradiction, and humor in the Japanese aesthetic.