Spring 2002 Exhibition
Dragons, Lotus and Other Phenomena:
The Paintings of Minol Araki
April 2 – June 1, 2002
This exciting show featured large scale and dramatic works produced over the past 25 years by contemporary Japanese painter Minol Araki. This marked the first time that the Center exhibited works by a contemporary artist, but one of the things that makes Araki so compelling is his reworking and modernization of traditional themes, media and formats.
Minol Araki (b. 1928)
Dragons in Clouds (detail)
2000
Regular visitors to the Clark Center are now familiar with Nanga—or painting done by "amateur" literati artists. These were men and women who, traditionally, produced art for art's sake, rather than for monetary gain. Araki is modern example of such an artist—he paints purely for the love of painting. Araki cites his artistic influences as artists and designers from around the globe, including such diverse sources as Nanga (literati) and Nihonga (modern Japanese style works), Chinese "thrown ink" style landscape painting, Russian painting, and even the work of Pablo Picasso, yet in his paintings, he synthesizes these influences into highly personalized, evocative imagery. In the work of Araki, East meets West, and the Old meets the New.
Gallery hours: Tuesday through Saturday 1 – 5 pm. Closed on national holidays and during the month of August.
Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for students with valid ID. Children 12 and under free.
Weekly docent tours are held Saturdays at 1 pm and guided group tours can be arranged by calling the Center in advance at (559) 582-4915.