Brianna's Visual Culture blog

"Flatboy vs. Skinny" by Dick Hebdige

Undeveloped adolescent complex
"Measured by the standards of modern civilization, [the Japanese are] like a boy of twelve." - General Douglas MacArthur to U.S. Senate, 1951 - This projection, along with things like Article 9 manifested itself in Japanese culture through the dichotomy between East and West, Orientalism at its finest. Speaking specifically to this issue, Murakami raises his idea of:

Superflatness
The legitimacy of Japanese art should not be measured by the style of Western art
Planarity of anime and manga

Otaku
Murakami draws on otaku culture and turns it into art, encompassing through his works eroticism, nonsense, and kawaii.

Fusion with entertainment
Studio production and marketing
Nonsense of meaning

http://www.galerieperrotin.com/fiche.php?id_pop=7012&&idart=12&&dossier=Takashi_Murakami&&num=32&&p=2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMPwdc0oHg

What is the difference between this and Murakami's other works/this and any other anime?

This is a picture I found on someone's flickr site. It is of a little taiko drum from a taiko drumming video arcade game in Japan. I can't remember what the name of it was, but I remember getting very excited by all the cute things when I played it, so I searched for it. Anyway, I'm glad I found it, because it is obviously very cute. I love how the creators were able to take a drum, personify it by giving it a face, and turn it into a cute animal-like thing. Although the legs of a taiko drum are inanimate, this little guy seems to possess the ability to move, jump, and encourage players with that little wink (which it does very well.) These qualities are enhanced more when seeing a cartoon of it on screen, but I think one could derive such suspicions by looking at this little figure too.

I guess my point is that drums are not cute. That really did not seem obvious, but it is my point. Taiko drums are not cute; they are inanimate objects that produce orotund, resonant rhythm. Their sound is big, loud, deep, and powerful when you hit them - hardly what this drum seems capable of. This drum is small, making it seem capable of making shrill, high-pitched noises. Plus, who would want to strike this guy with a drum stick?! But when paired with equally cute-faced, energetic drum sticks like in the game, this feat no longer seems as cruel. But we can't know about those from this picture. Suffice to say that this cute little taiko drum is not taiko drum-like at all when thinking about what that embodies. But it is adorable, seemingly energetic, friendly, etc., proving that one can take virtually anything and turn it into something cute by personifying it with the right attributes.

Ban Chinatsu 2005

This is a picture of a work done by Ban Chinatsu, provided by the Boesky Gallery. The structures are made of acrylic on fiberglass, called "January Snowy, February Flowy, March Blowy." There was another work of hers called "Digital Elephant Underpants" that really caught my eye, but for the sake of the assignment I thought that this seemed to be more in Japanese "cute" style to me. These elephants scream adorable. They are light-colored, innocent, and baby-ish. Even the larger one, which one could presume to be the mother of the little elephant, seems incapable to need a caretaker. My guess is that's because it is wearing underwear that looks like a diaper. In any case, the simple face of the elephants give them a sullen feeling. As adorable as they are, they both look somewhat sad. The soft colors evoke a sense of vulnerability. They are subtle, understated, and child-like - something one may find in a nursery - as opposed to the more vibrant, aggressive colors she chooses to use for the summer version of this piece, called "July Moppy, August Croppy, September Poppy."

Finally, there is the poop. I admittedly feel awkward addressing such a topic in an academic setting, but it is undeniably part of the piece. This is the ultimate proof that pretty much anything can be made cute. Who makes elephant poop cute?! Ban Chinatsu can, I guess. Anyway, the poop adds to the elephants' infantile feel, because it gives an impression of being unable to control their bowels. I don't know if I would feel that the piece was incomplete without it, but I think it certainly gives some sense of completion to the overall picture being painted.