Musings on photography, Japan, and my life on Okinawa.
Hiroshi and I went for a dive at Sunabe seawall today to spread some Christmas joy to all the underwater creatures that might otherwise miss out. Not many people know this but SCUBA is actually an acronym from
Santa Cavorts Underwater By Aqualung
Merry Christmas
Santa Dive 2009
Okinawan Artist Naka Bokunen
Bokunen was born on the small Okinawan island of Izena in 1953. As a child, he always carried a sketchbook, and drew pictures of the island’s creatures and landscapes. At that time, he never imagined a career as an artist, and thought he would become either a fisherman or a carpenter. His talent, however, did not go unnoticed. One of his teachers recommended that he attend an art-based high school on the main island of Okinawa. After graduation, Bokunen became a graphic designer and set up his own design production company, Project Core.
It is his skills as a woodblock artist that have gained him them most recognition. His colorful, dream-like prints were used for the Kyoto Climate Conference in 1997, the G8 Summit in 2000, and in numerous exhibitions across Japan.
What process do you go through to create the prints?
“I begin with a vague idea of what the image will be like, but as soon as I start to carve the wood, things change. The whole process is very fluid, almost like someone is working through me. I’m not creating the image directly on the paper, but in the wood which I’ll then print from. Because of this, I feel the process has an almost spiritual quality. You’re never quite sure what’s going to happen.
Once the woodblock is finished, I spread black ink on the surface of the wood, and then press it against the paper. The black and white print is a mirror image of the carving in the wood. I then turn the paper over and paint in the colors on the back of the paper. This reverse coloring technique gives the process its name: uratesaishoku. Traditional woodblock prints, such as the tsunami by Katsushika Hokusai, use another technique called ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e uses a different woodblock for each color and all are applied to the front of the paper. Painting from the back keeps the blacks dark and vivid, and gives my prints their distinctive style.”
Naka Bokunen's Cartway and Fukugi Tree 1997
Do you now work exclusively with woodblocks?
“Not at all. I sometimes do sculptures such as the bronze mermaid at Moon Beach. I also do pen and ink designs, which I print as lithographs then paint with watercolors. Woodblocks, though, are my favorite method. I love the process of carving the image; it’s unlike anything else.”
What are your main artistic influences?
“The greatest influence comes from the things around me: Okinawa’s plants, animals, people, ocean and mountains. I also want to do more traveling, as whenever you make a connection with a place or a person, you get inspired, and it is this inspiration I can then channel into my work
I like the paintings of Van Gogh and Picasso. Some people say that my prints remind them of Chagall because the women in my pictures seem to be flying through the sky.
The other person who has inspired me is Shiko Munakata. He was the first to use the uratesaishoku technique in Japan, and was one of this country’s great 20th century artists.”
As nature is you main inspiration, do you worry about the future of the environment?
“Of course. I believe that the power of life lies hand in hand with the power of nature. I do not directly campaign for environmental protection, but I hope that, through my work, people will see the beauty of Okinawa, and not want to lose it.”
A lot of your creations include images of women or mermaids, but there don’t seem to be any men?
“I think that women are the spiritual heart of life. In Okinawa, they also have the special roles of kaminchu and yuta, priestess and shaman. To some this female power is known as Gaia, others call it Mother Nature. When I begin to draw or carve, the images just come naturally from my subconscious. Maybe, I just spend more time thinking about women than I do about men.”
Naka Bokunen's Bronze Mermaid at Moon Beach
In the December issue of Okinawa Living magazine there’s an interview I did with ceramic artist Nick Centala. I’ve added the extended text and a few images below for people who can’t get hold of the magazine.
Nick Centala Interview by Chris Willson, Okinawa Living Magazine
Potter with a Magic Touch
Okinawa’s most valuable asset is its people. This month we meet Nick Centala, a ceramic artist using traditional firing techniques to produce modern designs.
Nick Centala was born in Los Angeles. At 18 he joined the U.S. Navy as a corpsman and over the next 4 years he was based in San Diego and Okinawa. After the military, Nick studied pre-med to become a doctor, but a return visit to Okinawa steered his life down a different path.
In 2001, he spent five weeks learning about sculpting shîsâ with Okinawan potter Miyagi Shojin. A consuming passion for pottery grew from this experience. He switched his life goals from medicine to art, and became an apprentice to a potter in Kumamoto. After 3 months, he was offered a job managing a large wood-burning oven in Kagoshima, and it was there he spent 3 more years honing his craft. Nick still hoped to return to Okinawa, and when the opportunity arose to work for Okinawan potter Matsushima Choogi, he moved back to the Ryukyu Islands. His long-term goal, however, was to have his own kiln in Okinawa. From there he could create his own sculptures, but also make his knowledge and workshop available to others who have an interest in ceramics.
In 2008, Nick found the ideal plot of land on the outskirts of Nago City. He has since built his own 5-meter wood-fire kiln, and is finally living his dream.
Potter Nick Centala
How did your Japanese apprenticeship compare to learning a skill in a classroom?
In a classroom, you’re paying for an instructor to teach and provide you with tasks designed to improve your level of skill. An apprenticeship is a bit more like slavery, you work for free or very little pay often doing menial jobs, but in return you slowly learn the trade of the master. Some apprentices will remain with their sensei for years, often more than a decade. I, however, preferred to stay a much shorter amount of time at a variety of different workshops. I’d learn as much as I could about a particular style then move on. Because of this, I could choose the kiln style that suited me the best.
Why base yourself in Okinawa?
It’s a combination of factors. Okinawa has a pottery culture and a steady flow of visitors, therefore a market for my work. Tokyo also has a large market for ceramic art, but it would be impossible to buy land and set up a kiln there. Okinawa has the right combination of space, materials and market.
You use a wood fire kiln, how does this differ to a gas or electric kiln?
A wood fire kiln burns for much longer, usually three to ten days. More importantly, a gas or an electric kiln only produces a high temperature to vitrify the clay. In a wood fire kiln the ash combines with the natural materials in the clay to give the pots a glass-like luster.
After cave painting, wood-fired pottery is the oldest art form in existence. Using a wood fire kiln is also an awe-inspiring spectacle. The kiln heats up to over 1250 Celsius or 2280 Fahrenheit. It burns white hot, an inferno contained within the walls of the kiln.
Where does the wood come from?
Rather than cutting down trees, I reuse industrial wood such as old shipping crates. This natural fuel would otherwise be burned or put in a landfill at great expense. I can put this wood to good use in my kiln, obtaining value from something that would otherwise be wasted.
Do you use Okinawan clay?
Actually, the clay I use comes from Shiga prefecture. Shigaraki is stronger and more suitable for hand-built structural objects. Okinawan clay is nice, but a challenge to work with sometimes.
What kind of structural objects do you create?
Some are based on natural forms while others are more abstract. Some see element of Picasso in my work with a mixture of angular and flowing shapes. For a long time, I’ve been influenced by the work of Rodin who produced sculptures of bodies in bronze. Recently I created a series of torsos similar to those of Rodin, but in clay. The human form never goes out of style.
Some of your pieces have a futuristic or industrial feel to them. They look more like rusted metal than clay.
Yes my “iron works” in clay are popular. I’m currently working on a series of pieces that I call Modern Jomon, I’m blending a 3000 year old style of pottery with modern industrial shapes. Some Japanese visitors have said it reminds them of the airships in the anime Laputa: Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki.
Have you had any exhibitions of your work?
I showed some of my pieces in Kagoshima and since being back in Okinawa I’ve had exhibits at the Ryubo Department Store, the Foster Library, Urasoe Art Museum, the Okiten Annual Art Show, and Cotonoha Artspace + Café. In 2009, I exhibited my work at the Design Festa in Tokyo where I was able to showcase my creations to a new audience.
Nick’s workshop and kiln is located off route 84 between Nago City and Motobu Town. Directions and information about his work, the public workshop, and kiln can be found at www.sentorayaki.com
Just had an interesting email which shows the importance of watermarking your images.
Photograph by Chris Willson (not Youko Maeda!)
The webmaster of a model / photographer website contacted me saying that he was suspicious of a new member’s application. The new member, a photographer named “Youko Maeda” from “Hawaii”, uploaded some examples of her photographs (including the one above) all of which had TRAVEL 67 watermarks on them. The webmaster decided to visit www.travel67.com found out the photographer was a Chris Willson and not a Youko Maeda and got in touch. The new member’s application has been denied, hopefully thwarting some dirtbags plans.
A simple watermark gives potential clients or customers the ability to find who the owner of the copyright is, and hopefully dissuades others from stealing your work.
Having said that people can still crop or photoshop watermarks away. This is one of the reasons why I don’t have huge images on the web. I once got an “Okinwan Souvenir” on Facebook of some Taketomi Island star sand. Ironically the tiny gift image had been taken from my website by the application creator without my permission. I contacted the creator, Fernando Nakasone, but got no reply. Whether this was incompetence or maliciousness I don’t know but it is another reminder that photographers need to protect their work.
Here’s the second image from the model shoot of Nikki I did with Eboh last month.
Studio shoot with model Nikki Wright
I watched the Ryukyu Kings vs. Osaka Evessa basketball game today. This is the first basketball game I’ve ever seen in Japan, and only the second in my life. (I saw the Harlem Globetrotters play in Calgary, Canada.)
It was a great afternoon’s entertainment. Okinawa beat Osaka 82 to 77, which pleased the spectators. Of the 2815 in attendance, I think at least 2800 were Kings supporters.
I took my little point and shoot camera with me. The quality of the image isn’t that great, but of the few shots I took one of them was of a Kings player dunking the ball.
Ryukyu Kings vs Osaka Evessa
Thanks very much to the folks who came out to the Kadena Market Day. Overall, it was a good experience, met a lot of nice people and had some interesting conversations.
Kadena Market Day Display
Many, if not most, freelance photographers have to act as their own accountant, business manager, travel agent, website designer, publicist and even therapist. Adding the role of “vendor” has its own challenges to overcome, its own skill set to learn. I guess the only way to approach it is, like anything in life, to simply do it to the best of your ability.
I’ll be at Kadena Market Day in the Schilling Community Center from 10AM to 3PM tomorrow. Please drop by and say hello!
On a completely different topic…
Just checked to see if the Japanese release date for the new Sherlock Holmes movie is December 25th (the same as the US) or December 26 (the same as the UK). It turns out the Japanese release date is April 3rd. Bah, humbug!
Last Friday, the staff of One Shot Tattoo in Naha City were kind enough to let me take some photographs at their tattoo studio. Even better one of their clients gave me permission to photograph his full body irezumi. I am not going to even pretend this is an everyday occurrence for me.
I set up a black background in a small changing room then used a hammerhead flash with a softbox attachment for lighting. I used the Pentax 67II, Fuijfilm Provia 100F and a 100mm macro lens. When I had everything set up Kamiya-san came in, stripped of his clothes and I took two rolls of film. Not sure how long the shoot lasted, I was too busy checking and rechecking the settings on the camera and flash making sure that I was getting everything right. Supposedly I looked a little flustered which would be about right.
The dragon on his stomach was remarkable, it moved and changed shape as he breathed, and at one point while looking through the viewfinder I thought I might be having a hallucination.
Irezumi - Japanese tattoos
Irezumi - Japanese tattoos
Later I took some shots of the studio owner and artist Satoru Koizumi tattooing a new design onto Kamiya-san’s wrist. It looked painful but as you can see from the photo some people are able to control themselves far better than others.
Satoru Koizumi of One Shot Tattoo at work.
I’d like to thank Michelle and Annya for helping set up the shoot, Satoru Koizumi for allowing me to take images in his studio, and of course Kamiya-san for baring all and allowing me to share this ancient Japanese art form with others.
I started this blog on November 16th, 2008. One year later, there have been 187 posts, 247 comments and quite a few visitors. In fact, the numbers of views has risen from 25 in the first month to 6889 in October. It’s been a pleasure sharing my various adventures and misadventures with you over the past year. I’m glad that some people out in the world wide web have found them informative, interesting or amusing.
Not sure what the next 12 months will bring. Hopefully I’ll visit some beautiful places, meet some interesting people, learn a few kanji, and take a couple of really good photographs.
Thanks for reading.
Chris
