Pretty imagination

Today was the best Japanese Art History lecture to date. Not because I understood anything AT ALL of the lecture, but because I really enjoyed the slides today. It was a good progression, though without dates I could only imagine relationships. And thats what I did, just, sort of, infer meaning from what I was shown. Soon, I hope to have copies of the images from the professor, and real information that I can understand, but until then, I can sit back and simply live inside my head.

It was a great story, I was shown (for example) illustrative and realistic images, such as this (a landscape), based on the real world and containing narrative. Following were images of religion, holy figures and demons, the spiritual. Ideas of non-proof, the unknown, without physical presence, living in the minds of men. Nothing is certain, searching is what matters. Then came more landscape, but with, I felt, a distinct difference. There were clouds, areas of obscurity, details left to the imagination. Perhaps it was just coincidence, perhaps the images were not in chronological order, but when a people start to think of the unknown, their struggle is reflected in art. Art is contemporary, it reflects current issues and struggle. Once a society begins to contemplate the unknown, would not that struggle extend into other aspects of existence. In Japan, nature is often revered, close at hand, the mountains outside your window are always calling. Hide nature. hide the existence of nature, and reflect.