People as Pictures

            My longtime fascination with Japanese design was quickly aroused by People as Pictures.  I have at my house a bottle of sumi ink and sumi brushes, that I have yet to reach much proficiency with.  Understanding a little of how the masters are able to control the ink on paper, I am amazed to even think they would apply it into skin.

            Most Japanese art that I have experienced seems to be centered around a master subtly controlling what appears to be a simple technique.  Irezumi seems to fit into this pattern.  The process, while painfully brutal, seems quite simple.  Ink is plunged into the skin with rather primitive tools.  It is the master’s skilled subtle hand that is able to achieve complicated delicate patterns.

            Brushing ink on paper also appears to be a simple process.  When a master applies sumi ink to paper, there is no simple line.  Each mark is carefully crafted to hold a maximum of information in a minimum of apparent effort.  The key to unlocking this information is in the loading of the brush.  The density of ink is carefully controlled on different parts of the brush, so that when is dragged across the paper, the right amount of ink is deposited in the right spot.  In this way one brushstroke can hold a whole range of values and line weights.  One stroke can hold an abundance of information.

            Irezumi also reminds me of the tea ceremony in the way the design is built up slowly over time.  A tea master does not just purchase a tea set, but slowly builds a collection of items.  He slowly collects teabowls from a variety of kilns, insuring that no two are alike, that each fit into the collection, and each brings the holder into a state of careful contemplation.  While each component is important, it is the overall experience of the ceremony that the master wishes to create.  It is the same with irezumi.  Work is added slowly over time, but it is known to be a component of a greater design.

            I continue to be fascinated by Japanese design traditions.  Even the tough guys, while proving how tough they are, manage to keep it classy.  Not just keep it classy, but create something complex and beautiful, yet understated and subtle.