Murakami / Zen Art

Murakami Exhibit Entrance - San Francisco  2023

Godzilla (Murakami) - San Francisco  2023

An internationally recognized artist, Murakami is also a major figure in global pop culture whose influence extends to fashion, consumer products, curation, and entertainment. With a boldly colored, upbeat style and a pop sensibility that draws inspiration from anime and manga, Murakami’s accessible and fun creations deliver more than meets the eye: beneath the surface of his work lies a nuanced examination of human behavior, informed by historical and art-historical references and a wry sense of humor.

We visited San Francisco's Asian Art Museum together with Maz, Shawna, Hanna and Nolan. I was particularly appreciative of Murakami's Godzilla, due to my previous Godzilla experience in Tokyo.

Also on display: ancient Chinese ink paintings of persimmons and chestnuts, done in the Zen tradition. (Alas, the persimmons art was gone when we went.)

Attributed to the 13th-century monk Muqi, these exquisitely subtle compositions were painted in China and then crossed the ocean to Japan, where they have been designated Important Cultural Properties and treasured for centuries at Daitokuji Ryokoin Zen temple in Kyoto. 

Zen Paintings (Poster) - San Francisco  2023

50 Years Ago Today #2

Barracks Cleanliness (Okinawa) - Japan  1964

Who among us can say, with any certainty, exactly what they were doing on this date 50 years ago?

Well, maybe some can. You've probably been able to guess that Mike can, anyway.

Yes, 50 years ago today (that is, Saturday, December 12, 1964) Mike had observed this notice posted on the barracks bulletin board, retrieved his camera and snapped this pix for posterity. (Click for larger view.)

Apparently the area assigned the 4th Platoon (located near Naha, Okinawa) was a real PIG STY (capitalized and underlined) with a number of troops having dirty butt plates. And below, what had particularly caught his attention, was the ominous message: "Pfc Mundy - Not prepared. (See me 14 Dec 64)."

The interesting thing is that - try as hard as he can - Mike simply can't remember what transpired during that fateful clarification session on the following Monday. But he expects that he, Mike Military, and Staff Sergeant Clark came to an agreeable meeting of the minds and that all was well thereafter.

(Of note: the larger organization of which the 4th Platoon was a tiny fragment was the US Army, Ryukyu Islands, otherwise known as USARYIS, sometimes pronounced "You Sorry Ass.")

Also, please recall Mike's Fort Ord 50-year post.

[Update: Sorry for the photo quality. We're talking about a 50 year old negative here.]

Consulates

Korean Flag - San Francisco  2013

Korean Consulate - San Francisco  2013

Top: the upscale Korean Consulate found in a quiet, upscale San Francisco neighborhood.

Below: scene from the Japanese Consulate found in a anonymous downtown office building at Fremont and Mission. But, they have T-shirts!

Japanese Consulate - San Francisco  2013