I remember one time visiting a friend in Korea and I was just appreciating the paintings hanging on his wall.
Comments, opinions back and forth. He, that had visited Japan (at that time, the country I was living in) asked me why people in Japan don’t hang painting or drawings on the wall.
I tried my best to explain that maybe was not part of our “living conditions”, so to speak.
Anyone that had the chance to visit the country or lived/lives there, knows how tiny are the rooms and privacy is almost to non-existent. Thin walls, basically everything is built on paper and wood (literally).
One of the reasons that fire is more scary than earthquake itself. The fires following after the houses crashing can cause more damage and so did during the war after the bombings (followed by fire) devastated entire cities like Tokyo itself.
Anyways, the other realistic reason is that opening a hole with a nail, screw or anything else on a apartment wall is not just an heresy, but it will be deducted from your wallet big time when you move out.
So, better do not attempt any fancy wall thing in your house (if is rented)
Another interesting comment came from an European friend stating that Japanese houses/ apartments only had the bright neon lights shinning all over the entire room.
Needles to say, when I visited Europe first hand I felt that rooms were so dark. Wondering how they could tell what they were eating at the dinner table.
Now, putting myself in that same situation of being located in the so-called “dark room” made me see the thing from a different point of view.
Well, not minding so much about the visual of the food I’m eating, as I cooked it by meself and I’m pretty much sure what’s going down through my throat.
But speaking of the paintings I’m making, they are mostly done under natural day light coming from the windows.
I bought a clip lamp, but honestly only used it couple times.
Other times I even went far to burn some damn candles to see how the guys “back in the days” used to feel when they painted. Well, obviously the Japanese masters of Ukiyo-e did also painted under candles, but when comes to sitting in front of a canvas stuff is slightly different, I guess. And stylish/ artsy…or whatever
Have to confess also, that as I explained; fire following an earthquake makes a big no-no for candles too in Japanese houses.
So, here I am. Enjoying 2 things I couldn’t do there: opening holes in the wall to hang my paintings and painting them under candle lights…how ’bout that?
Before all this post starts to look too gayish, I will pop up another beer…
Everything is a balance in life, just like light and shadows.
Still, a long way to go to fill in the damn thing…
日本では何故か”壁に絵を飾る”という習慣はあまりない。それは海外の友達が指摘したんだが、僕が彼に説明したのは現実的に賃貸であれば穴をあける事はほぼ不可能だし、誰だって修理代を払うよりは何も飾る必要はないと感じるだろう、と。それとスペースの問題も確かにあるでしょう。
前回書いたように、こっちに来てからアクリル画をまた再開し、もちろん壁にガンガン穴を開けています（笑
日本ではもう一つ出来なかった事はキャンドルをたく事。基本的には絵は昼間、自然の明かりのもとで描く様にはしている。テーブルライトも買ったんだが、何かしっくり来なくてあまり使っていない。
そして思いついたのはキャンドルの明かりだとどう絵が映るのだろうか、と。
やはりヨーロピアンスタイルだとまたこういったカッコのつけ方もありなのかな(笑
まだその答えは勿論出ていないが、地震のせいで出来なかった事：重い物を高い所に置く（絵をぶら下げる）、キャンドルを点ける。こっちでは当り前なんだが、そのありがたみを皆は分かっているのだろうか？
こういった小さな事も含めて、アートをもっと身近に感じさせる環境は大切だなと思って今日も酒を飲みます。。。絵は描かねぇーのかよ！（笑