Japan Institute of Portland Japanese Garden and Portland State University are co-hosting the Portland premiere screening of a compelling documentary film, Edo Avant Garde.
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During the Edo era (1603‒1868), Japanese artists innovated many strategies to bring the natural world and its creatures to life. To animate trees, puppies, waves, and clouds they incorporated asymmetry, abstraction, stylization, and empty space—techniques that profoundly influenced modern art in the West. In Linda Hoaglund’s film Edo Avant Garde, she explores the origins of Japanese artists’ creative efflorescence by filming some of the most closely-guarded Edo-era masterpieces in museum and private collections across the U.S. and Japan, unraveling how artists hundreds of years ago in one of the world’s most isolated countries captured the natural world in strikingly unique ways.
The film’s exquisite cinematography by Japanese Academy Award-winner Kasamatsu Norimichi and outstanding original soundtrack by Satoshi Takeishi and Shoko Nagai present a remarkable, immersive experience of the Edo era’s byobu, folding screens. Simultaneously dynamic and mesmerizing, at its heart, Edo Avant Garde offers a unique opportunity to look closely and see how radically different Japanese art emerged in the 17th century.
Run time: 83 minutes
After the premiere, join the filmmaker for a discussion and Q&A session.
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