On Farting by Hiraga Gennai gives the reader a perspective into the world of various arts in the Edo Period. Not only are we shown what is meant to be a proper practicing of the arts through his satirical character, Crankshaw Stonington Esquire, but he counters this claim that the arts were then lacking in life, passion, and ingenuity. They had become boring and outdated without any creativity being brought forward. To prove this he sings his praises for a fart artist, and engages in a lively debate about what truly marks art as meaningful and how a change to the traditions would improve the civilization. However passionate, his argument may not be effective enough to change the minds and ways of those who revel in the traditional.
Gennai
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tries to convince the reader that the arts of the times were severely lacking in enthusiasm and meaning. As he begins to talk to his friends in the essay, it stirs quite a debate, first, simply questioning the integrity of the performance. The group argues about whether or not it was real, trickery, or if the performer used performance enhancing drugs. This alone tells the reader, a common audience was accustomed to deceit, dishonesty and lackluster performance. Gennai furthers this idea when he says, “With all manner of deceptive craft being lavished, when all these tricked up hot new items turn out to be marzipan imitations, when what seems original grows out-moded overnight, while the old stuff gets mustier day by day” (Gennai 395). This statement not only introduces the reader to the idea of fraudulence within performances of this time period, but also that the traditional was becoming stale and without life. He brings this idea forth when he contrasts the fart artist, with artists of the time, who he claims that, though they may be blessed with amazing voices, teachers and methods, “their renditions fail to bring a single spark of life to the old ballads. Having no real dynamic flow of the pieces they attack, no control of diction of phrasing, they destroy each new joururi entrusted to them, and push their school ever closer to their ultimate collapse” (Gennai 398). However, it is not just the performance arts that Gennai seems to think is losing its spirit. He also mentions scholars, philologists, and doctors, who he claims are just copying what those have done before them and are not bringing any innovations into the world. “They are lacking in the native talent necessary for the creation of something new. Their most fundamental defect, the source of all their other inadequacies, is their want of spirit” (Gennai 399). Something that Gennai clearly feels the fart artist, has in abundance. To contrast what he believes is the shallowness and uninventiveness of the art community, he praises a fart artist, or as he is titled within the essay, “The Flower-Blooming Man” (Gennai 394).
First he applauds the fart artist for being unique, “nothing like it can be found, neither in our written records nor our oral transmition”, and goes on to say, “What art! What farts!” (Gennai 395). To Gennai, this idea of originality, not making derivative art, is what truly makes art great and allows an artist to both innovate, and enhance the lives of humanity. Not only does he make this point, but argues that the fart artist is taking something that is seemingly meaningless and making it meaningful, but also tells the reader that, what the fart artist is doing is so exciting that he is attracting more viewers than other more traditional arts, “But to take this thing, that is, beyond all else in the world, utterly useless and make of it such a great success that aside from the main theaters, other shows have to shut down for lack of spectators- it is no mean feat” (Gennai 398). Gennai believes this fart artist is of the highest talent because he truly brings forth originality and passion, he insists that others would benefit greatly if they put so much enthusiasm into their various crafts, “I say likewise, if a wise man could be found who would devote to the improvement of all our lives the same ingenuity as the man here has lavished on his farts, we could expect great things from …show more content…
him” (Gennai 399). It is clear that it isn’t because Gennai detests traditions or thinks that farting is the paramount of art, but that it is the ingenuity behind the art, and the creativity in the idea that makes art beneficial and important. The passion and originality of his performances are what practitioners of the arts need to incorporate in order for their craft to survive, and for humanity to benefit. Though his argument is passionate, his arguments where not ample in their evidence, and with only strong opinion, it might not have the wanted effect on his reader. Gennai forms interesting points and ideas about what he believes would enliven the arts, however, he leaves the reader wanting for more evidence. He also makes his points using severe observations to ridicule the traditional artists, “he has incomparably greater talent between his buttocks than these third-rate musicians have between their lips” (Gennai 398). Again, he could be perceived as being quite insulting when he lists various practitioners of other arts, and refers to them as, “incompetent wretches” and, “equally useless quacks” (Gennai 399). Even the pseudonym he gives the man who creates a counter argument, “Crankshaw Stonington, Esquire” (Gennai 395), is used as a way to ridicule people who hold high value in the traditional. It points the reader to derive that those against Gennai’s argument should be viewed as cranky, stubborn and pretentious. As the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, and Gennai offers only vinegar. When trying to capture his audience and show that what the arts need is to bring new life to them, he ends up falling flat because of his use of insults and satirizing those who would oppose his argument. Rather than helping form a new opinion using evidence and talking about the benefits that passion and ingenuity bring to the arts, this alienates the audience, putting those who do not agree on the defensive and leaving them to feel insulted. When reading this essay the reader can easily understand what Gennai believes, but his lack of factual evidence to back his ideas and use of insults deteriorate his argument. Although, his point is agreeable, there are much more efficient and meaningful ways to conduct his argument. Where it is clear Gennai finds the state of the arts in the Edo period lacking, and while his idea of enlivening the arts with passion and creativity is a point worth listening to and arguing for, there are stronger ways to argue the point.
As a reader, one can glean that when conducting an argument, written or otherwise, it would be better received if one first identifies the target audience. Upon doing so the argument can be made by using more factual data to back up thoughts and opinion. For an arguer it is best to not use sarcasm and slights against those who disagree, it closes them off to new ideas. By following these argumentative rules, Gennai’s argument for the influx of creativity would have been better utilized within the world of the
arts.
I have a tendency to forget to breathe when I'm sitting in my art history class. A double slide projector set-up shoots its characteristic artillery - bright colors, intense shapes, inscriptions in languages that are at times read merely as symbols by my untrained mind, archaic figures with bodies contorted like elementary school students on the recess monkey bars. I discuss Diego Rivera's "The Liberation of the Peon," Frida Kahlo's "Self-Portrait," and Anselm Kiefer's "To the Unknown Painter" with my classmates. The room is never silent as we marvel at these images. When the slide projectors give off that first glimmer of light, their Gatsby spot of a blurry green hope at the end of the dock, we depart on our collective imaginary field trips. The teacher doesn't need to coax, to pry, to pose multiple-choice questions. We are already on our way.
Coming from a family greatly involved in art dealing, Vincent van Gogh was destined to have a place in the world of art. Van Gogh’s unique techniques and use of color, which clashed and differed greatly from the masters of the art world of his time, would eventually gain him the recognition as one of the founders of modern art. Van Gogh’s early life was heavily influenced by the role of his father who was a pastor and chose to follow in his footsteps. Although he abandoned the desire to become a pastor, van Gogh remained a spiritual being and was strong in faith. Plagued with a troubled mind and poor health, van Gogh’s life became filled with torment and isolation that would influence his career in later life as an artist. In his late twenties, van Gogh had decided that it was God’s divine plan for him to become a painter. His works would express through thoughtful composition and vibrant color, the emotions that he was unable to manifest in the real world. Van Gogh’s perception of reality and his technique would face harsh criticism and never receive full acceptance from his peers as a serious artist during his brief career. In a collection of correspondence entitled The Letters of a Post-Impressionist, Vincent confirmed these thoughts while writing to his brother Theo, “It irritates me to hear people say that I have no "technique." It is just possible that there is no trace of it, because I hold myself aloof from all painters” (27). His technique would later be marveled and revered by the art world. Vincent van Gogh’s legacy would thrive as it challenged the way the world envisioned modern art through his unique brush strokes and profound use of color as seen in his works The Sower and The Night Café. A brief look into...
Throughout history artists have used art as a means to reflect the on goings of the society surrounding them. Many times, novels serve as primary sources in the future for students to reflect on past history. Students can successfully use novels as a source of understanding past events. Different sentiments and points of views within novels serve as the information one may use to reflect on these events. Natsume Soseki’s novel Kokoro successfully encapsulates much of what has been discussed in class, parallels with the events in Japan at the time the novel takes place, and serves as a social commentary to describe these events in Japan at the time of the Mejeii Restoration and beyond. Therefore, Kokoro successfully serves as a primary source students may use to enable them to understand institutions like conflicting views Whites by the Japanese, the role of women, and the population’s analysis of the Emperor.
"The Disappointed Art Lover." writ. Francis Sparshott. The Forger's Art. gen. ed. Denis Dutton. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983.
“Until the seventeenth century, Japanese Literature was privileged property. …The diffusion of literacy …(and) the printed word… created for the first time in Japan the conditions necessary for that peculiarly modern phenomenon, celebrity” (Robert Lyons Danly, editor of The Narrow Road of the Interior written by Matsuo Basho; found in the Norton Anthology of World Literature, Second Edition, Volume D). Celebrity is a loose term at times; it connotes fortune, flattery, and fleeting fame. The term, in this modern era especially, possesses an aura of inevitable transience and glamorized superficiality. Ironically, Matsuo Basho, (while writing in a period of his own newfound celebrity as a poet) places an obvious emphasis on the transience of life within his travel journal The Narrow Road of the Interior. This journal is wholly the recounting of expedition and ethos spanning a fifteen hundred mile feat, expressed in the form of a poetic memoir. It has been said that Basho’s emphasis on the Transient is directly related to his and much of his culture’s worldview of Zen Buddhism, which is renowned for its acknowledgement of the Transient as a tool for a more accurate picture of life and a higher achievement of enlightenment. Of course, in the realization that Basho does not appear to be unwaveringly religious, perhaps this reflection is not only correlative to Zen Buddhism, but also to his perspective on his newfound celebrity. Either way, Matsuo Basho is a profound lyricist who eloquently seeks to objectify and relay the concept of transience even in his own name.
In this notable Ted Talk video "Do schools kill creativity?", Sir Ken Robinson discusses how public education systems demolish creativity because they believe it is essential to the academic growth and success of students. Robinson created a broad arrange of arguments to persuade the viewers to take action on this highly ignored issue, and he primarily focuses on how important creativity is. There are classes within schools that help utilize creativity, but they are not taken seriously by adults in society. Therefore, the value of creative knowledge decreases. Robinson uses an unusual combination of pathos and ethos to make an enjoyable dispute for implementing an education system that nurtures rather than eats away at creativity.
I find that the general theme of humanity that Gombrich has chosen fits perfectly into a book with the subject of history of the World and the overall development of society overtime. Gombrich ties in the themes of creativity, spirituality, leadership, and destruction into the portrayal of humanity, which I find very efficient, because these are the characteristics that define us as humans. Without these themes, this book would be like any other historical textbook full of facts and informational text. I believe that Gombrich chose this first theme of creativity, because starting with the first humans; we have always been curious creatures, wanting to know how things work. From our curiosity, we have investigated into our environment and the objects surrounding us, and once learning of these objects, putting them to use. Humans are the dominant species due to our creativity in adapting to new environments and creating new inventions that will benefit our survival and us. Creativity is still applicable in the modern world, not necessarily for our survival, but for luxuries and pleasures that we like to take part in throughout our lives. Without creativity, we as humans would never have evolved and developed to what we are today. From the great contribution creativity has had on our development, Gombrich has acknowledged this trait as one of the necessities to display in his
It appears to me that pictures have been over-valued; held up by a blind admiration as ideal things, and almost as standards by which nature is to be judged rather than the reverse; and this false estimate has been sanctioned by the extravagant epithets that have been applied to painters, and "the divine," "the inspired," and so forth. Yet in reality, what are the most sublime productions of the pencil but selections of some of the forms of nature, and copies of a few of her evanescent effects, and this is the result, not of inspiration, but of long and patient study, under the instruction of much good sense…
Japan is known for its unique gardening style, their diverse plants, their food, and their beautifully woven tapestries. Yet, most do not know about the history of their drama. Japanese Noh theatre is one of the most precise and prestigious art forms. It has been this way since the fourteenth century when Zeami first created Noh theatre. Zeami’s most famous plays, such as Kinuta, are still performed today. Japanese drama has not changed much since the fourteenth century because it has made a lasting effect on the culture. Noh theatre had a major influence on fourteenth century Japan and has affected modern day drama.
In Sir Ken Robinson’s Ted Talk video, he had many major points that relate to the definition and importance of creativity. A major point how creativity is as important in education as literacy. According to Sir Ken Robinson, “we should treat it with the same status. He explains is that education is used to prepare use for the future, but the future is unpredictable.”.
Denison. B. (2002, January 1). A Basic Overview of Japanese Culture . . Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.mizukan.org/articles/culture.htm
Matsuo Basho radically redefined the three-line, 17-syllable haiku poetic form from an entertaining pastime in 16th-century Japan to a major literary genre in the 17th century. An early Basho haiku provides an example of his meticulous and sensitive approach in selecting and arranging words and images to produce highly evocative allusions:
I was always a creative child; it was something I just could not not be. Back then I didn’t know how to be ‘normal.’ While the other children wrote their essays about their mothers and pets or their best friends, I wrote about becoming birds or about ducks building robots. Truly. I suppose I could blame it on my parents – my father for trying to teach me how to read when I was too young and my mother for reading The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein to me as my bedtime story – but I know, truthfully, that it wasn’t their fault. It is no one’s fault, for I do not see my strange imagination as a terrible, abnormal thing. I do know that no one in particular influenced my creativity when I was younger, but I remember being obsessive about certain stories. I remember when I got my first computer – a 16-color piece of, well, garbage that barely ran. But even though it was so old and primitive, it opened new doors for my imagination, and I spent my childhood either playing games about knights and dragons or running around outside and acting out my own unscripted scenari...
William Johnston’s ‘Geisha, Harlot, Stranger, Star’ is the first English-written contribution to the huge array of texts dissecting the life and actions of Abe Sada. The book describes Abe Sada’s life in all its stages, culminating on the recollection of May 19th, 1936, where she killed her lover Ishida Kichizōby, before castrating him and carrying his genitals around in her kimono. With so many texts on the subject, and the attempt of psychoanalysts, feminists, literary critics and those who knew her to explain why she killed and castrated Ishida, it’s one of the most sensationalised crimes committed in twentieth century Japan. Unlike many texts which attempt to construct meaning out of Abe Sada’s actions, Johnston aims to tell the story of
The art and entertainment of the geisha have been prevalent in Japanese culture since the 17th century. Unfortunately, there has been an unfair stigma attached to them in recent years. Many people do not understand the history and the rigorous training of a geisha. They are the true artists of Japan. The art form of the geisha is steeped in history, tradition, and discipline and is one of the most important parts of Japanese culture. “Geisha’s are entertainers, and they are trained vigorously in art, music and dancing.” (Knight, 2008)