Recently in this space we reported on a July visit to the Herbert Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. We had gone for a special exhibition (now closed, sad to say) on Aboriginal contemporary paintings. But there’s a lot more to the museum than that.
*For instance, we also enjoyed “American Sojourns and the Collecting of Japanese Art.” The thrust of this exhibit (through December 18) is the American experience of visiting or living in Japan over the past century and a half… an experience that has led to great enthusiasm for Japanese art in this country but has also led to transformations within Japanese art… either for the purpose of sales, or by way of learning, adopting, and transforming something new. Just the adoption of photography, for instance, marked the incorporation of an entire new technology and an entirely new art form.
*We were very pleased to see three color prints donated by our friends Jerry and Virginia Wright. Jerry, who experienced Japan while in the military and repeatedly while working for Corning Glass Works, demonstrates varieties of ways American experience that country.
*It’s interesting that earlier military visitors, still fiercely bitter about Japan’s aggression and war crimes, quickly fell under the spell of Japanese art in all its beauty. There’s a long history of “nature art” including landscapes, but Japanese artists have also found beauty even in industrial scenes.
*While not mentioned in the exhibit, American comic books in Japan influenced manga, a distinctly Japanese form of comics, and manga has bounced back across the Pacific to influence American comics. It’s a never-ending story.
*While “American Sojourns” is a temporary exhibit, a permanent feature of the museum grounds is a Japanese garden… art in landscape. This particular garden presents in landscaping the story of the three laughing sages (Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist) – a story that raises questions about the boundaries that we build around ourselves.
*There’s more Japanese art, and other Asian art, on permanent exhibit on the fifth floor. This is also the exhibit space for ancient art, including cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia (Iraq) and its neighbors. One of these included the earliest datable picture of a man riding a horse.
*The most spectacular feature of the fifth floor is seen through the wraparound windows. Strolling around the perimeter you get a fantastic view of the campus, the city, Cayuga Lake, and the far shore of Cayuga Lake. Right below, on the north side, you overlook a footbridge across the gorge of Fall Creek.
*Of the seven levels, five are public spaces dedicated to exhibits. We covered three of those levels (one incompletely), so another visit is called for (and looked forward to!).
*The building itself goes back to 1973, and has that Soviet feel that was then nearing the end of its popularity. I suppose you can argue that the minimalist structure allows the art to stand out, but it still has a cold feel – not rejecting the visitors, but perhaps indifferent to them. Were I responsible, I would make the entrance area more inviting. But perhaps the sense is that while visitors are welcome, and admission is free, its mission is about academics instead of visitation.
*Parking is at a premium on the Cornell campus, so make sure you read signs and meters and follow instructions. My experience is that no map of Ithaca or Cornell ever shows what’s actually on the ground at the time you’re there… I think they’re both playing Brigadoon. But keep your patience, and your sense of humor, because the place is definitely worth repeated visits.