Further exploring: Kimonos and Asian aesthetic

After a trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art last Friday, I am further entranced by how the kimono is used as a blank canvas and in extension the female form is also the blank canvas. The  kimono is really beginning to draw me, both as as a canvas for artwork and as an artform in itself. 

 

This kimono and the ones in the book show them as the flat canvas, as it would be hung against the wall, much more as we frequently see them displayed in museums and galleries. More examples of this can be found here.

The kimonos below, by virtue of the female body within, show the added the dimensional qualities, and with her movement and the interplay of light on the surfaces, the canvas becomes ever changing and far more entrancing. By extension, the woman inside the kimono learns how to use her movements artistically to showcase both the kimono and herself, her movement becoming a sort of performance art.

Interesting to me is how the kimono, both as a fiber art and as a fashion statement continue to inspire artists, as with  Takeshi Mano, whose photographs often feature Japanese women in kimonos.

Japanese beauty by Takeshi Mano

Yin Yang by Takeshi Mano

Art Kimono

The kimono is a centuries old clothing form the wearing of which has often been considered an art. It has also been an inspiration for artists, it's form, it's flow, it's movement. Here are some of my favorites.

Itchiku Kubota began seeking the secret to an ancient dye process and ended up creating an artform never before seen.

                         

Catherine Foster works with metals, paints and resins to create her kimono shaped sculptures.

            

Corinne Okada creates kimonos that are as much not there as there, balancing fabric and space.