Movement and Materiality in Japanese Art

March 9—10, 2018.  Schermerhorn Hall, Columbia University

One role of images in Japanese art is to bridge the gap between the viewer and the intangible-be it religious tenets, works of literature, or historical events.  This symposium will explore the ways in which images and material objects inspired movement of the mind or body, or helped a viewer to form connections to disparate ideas and places through time and space.  While pictorial content was an important factor for determining how a viewer might perceive a work of art, equally important was the image’s reception, use, and function.  What were the motivations for promoting movement or creating allusions to people, places, and ideas outside of the artwork?  Could any image be a conduct to a different time and location or were certain images endowed with specific characteristics and meanings that made them more suitable to this function?  By examining a variety of images across time, medium, and genre, we aim to attain a better understanding of how objects can inspire movement, create networks of meaning, stimulate the senses, and capture the imagination.

The conference began with the keynote lecture by Professor Midori Sano (Gakushūin University), on Thursday, March 9th.  Speakers on Saturday, March 10th, were Professors Samuel C. Morse (Amherst College), Andrew Watsky (Princeton University), Sherry Fowler (University of Kansas), Robert Goree (Wellesley College), Melanie Trede (Heidelberg University), Satomi Yamamoto (Kyōritsu Women’s University), Ryūsuke Masuki (Kobe University), and Daishi Chieda (Chūkyō University).

Keynote speaker Professor Midori Sano of Gakushūin University.

Professor Sano with symposium speakers Melanie Trede and Daishi Chieda.



Professor Matthew McKelway (discussant), and speakers Satomi Yamamoto, Andrew Watsky, Melanie Trede, and Robert Goree.