The creativity of contemporary Japanese artists within the context of Japanese and Western aesthetics

This dissertation asks how contemporary Japanese artists conceive their ideas and create art in the context of a culture that emphasizes imitation and adherence to tradition. I argue that the impression that these values stifle creativity is based on an imperfect understanding of Japanese aesthetics. Through an examination of the artists' work and creative process, I attempt to demonstrate that knowledge of and response to aesthetic tradition plays a significant role in art that is also excitingly new.; Chapter I introduces this argument and provides a glossary of Japanese aesthetics. Many of the terms are discussed in context in Chapter II, which presents an historical overview of Japanese aesthetic tradition.; Chapter III examines the sculpture of Katsura Funakoshi, focusing on its emotional, symbolic, and spiritual import. Comparisons between Funakoshi's aesthetics and traditional Japanese haiku poetry are also explored. Chapter IV looks at the deeply ingrained tradition of conversation between art and nature and the exploration of new techniques in the work of ikebana (flower arrangement) and installation artists Hiroshi Teshigahara and Yukio Nakagawa. Chapter V examines the career, influences, and creative work of clothing designer Issey Miyake in light of the traditional Japanese aesthetic that connects nature with art and man with nature and in light of the aesthetic values of yonobi (functional art) and a-un (collaboration). Chapter VI considers the photographic self-portraits of Yasumasa Morimura, which mediate between East and West while adding postmodern twists to the Japanese tradition of moho (learning by imitation). Chapter VII explores the traditional principles of ma and kukan (potential and physical space) in the paintings of Hiroshi Senju, the prints and sculpture of Shoichi Ida, and the photographs of Hiroshi Sugimoto. Finally, Chapter VIII examines traditional influences on the architecture of Tadao Ando and Kisho Kurokawa, with particular reference to the aesthetics of home and garden and the spiritual relationship between the human and natural worlds.; I conclude that these artists share an ability to fuse their knowledge of the past with a vision of the present and future, and that creativity conjoined to tradition and aesthetic values can yield exciting artistic fruit.