flow3.htmlTEXTLMANrｴsﾚｴ驅ｷ The Second Period
モダニズムから前衛へ

Shift from Modernism to Avant-garde
The second period 1950's - 1960's.


  
Under San Francisco Peace Treaty, signed in 1952, Okinawa was separated administratively from the Japanese territory. Okinawa was placed under complete control of U.S. Military Government. During the period the U.S. Military Government enforced expropriation of land, which triggered island wide land struggle.
In art scene, pro-modernism movement was born in some groups of artists. In 1960's, Okinawan Reversion Movement expanded and reached a peak. Such a movement also influenced greatly on art scene, which produced avant-garde artists.

 

1950's - Period of riviving

  
Judges of the first 'Okiten' were; Seikan Omine, Aijun Nadoyama, Kohya Oshiro, Keiichi Yamamoto and Ryoken Toyohira, the president of Okinawa Times. Shinzan Yamada joined them since the second 'Okiten.'
Those artists were the first generation of post-war Okinawan art.
Nadoyama and Omine were leading force. They had a connection with art societies in mainland Japan since pre-war period. Both were awarded the prizes from art associations in mainland Japan before the war.
The central motif of those artists' works were based on their affection Okinawan culture and customs. Nadoyama's motif is women portrayed in traditional Ryukyuan dress. Omine reluctantly liked to paint the beauty of the landscapes with traditional Okinawan red-tiled roofs. Despite that good old Ryukyuan style was disappearing rapidly after the war, Nadoyama and Omine sticked to them.

There were a group of young artists who repelled the judges of the firstOkiten. They were second generation artists who started to work as artists after the war, and formed a artists group called 'Goninten' or 'Five Artists Show.' The leading figures were Masayoshi Adaniya, Kanemasa Ashimine, andSeikichi Tamanaha. All of them graduated from Tokyo College of Art in 1940's.
Contrary to the first generation artists' works were 'representation' of something, the second generation artists set 'expression', 'shape', 'form', and 'content' as subjects to deal with. They released leaflets with their artists' statement for every exhibition. Their starting point was a fact that Okinawa was completely destroyed by the war. It was a reality they had to face to.
It is often said modernism started to be practiced by those 'Five Artists'group members. Their concern was how to express, while what to paint for the former generation. Yet, how to employ 'Okinawa' for their work was always proposed.
They criticized the first generation's technique-first attitude. For instance, the leading force as a theorist among "Five Artists Group", MasayoshiAdaniya, who was also influential force figure on Okinawan art scene during 1950's - 1960's, said, "Don't mistake realism for a process of technical and sensuous development." (8th "Five Artists Show", Dec.4-6, 1953) He also mentioned "style" which leads to universality of paintings of modernism. 'The more one wants to give eternity to his works, the more works become refined. Saying that, paintings becomes more conscious to shapes and forms, consequently becomes flat." (6th "Five Artists Show", Sep.13-15, 1952) Adaniya also criticized that Okinawa is often described in the context of "Nanto" (Southern islands) by Folk Crafts Movement. He pointed out the first generation's works were just a representation of the "image of south" which others outside of Okinawa wanted Okinawa to be. He believed there was Okinawa's complexed reality which is far from those given images, and attempted to find a form and style to capture the reality. For the activities of avant-garde groups, he reproved them for their attitude that not to investigate the background the avant-garde was born and raised, but just to follow the mode.
"Five Artists Show" was dissolved in 1954, accomplished their primary goal as a group. Four years later, Adaniya, Ashimine, and Tamanaha organized "Sotokai"Club, and Chosho Ashitomi joined them as a new member. The club was open to all who shared the same interest. They sought artistic enlightenment by holding exhibitions in a warehouse to comment on each other's work. Sotokai was active for over 10 years, but their activity as a study group practically came to an end when Adaniya died in 1967.




 
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