干支 • Eto - Coming Soon to the Art•Shop - Part 1 - The Approach
干支 • Eto
coming soon to the art •shop
This is a first (for me). I’ll confess, I’m excited and a little anxious. Before all that though, let’s move on to:
the Essential Details
My 干支 • Eto collection is coming to the Art•Shop on November 5, 2021
Subscribers to my oft-neglected newsletter, A Pulse Afar (or whatever I’m calling it this week) will have early access to see and purchase the art.
If this seems like something you’d be interested in (and I hope it is), be sure to join my newsletter today:
Oh, you’d like to dig a little deeper into what’s happening, why I’m nibbling at my fingernails, and the long, twisty backstory?
You’ve come to the right place. There’s little in this world I love as much as over-explaining! Here’s a brief outline covering a few posts:
the essential details (you read this part at the top. Progress!)
Some interesting tidbits about the 干支 • Eto series (Part 1)
The expansive, sordid backstory behind this long-delayed yet oddly hurried event (Part 2 - coming soon)
and finally, assorted miscellany and some paths I’d like to explore in the future (Part 3 - also coming soon)
The Long, Incomplete Journey to 干支 • Eto
My first “Year of the Dog” piece • ca. a long time ago
The first Eto-inspired piece was made while I still lived in New Jersey, lo those many eons ago. It was a dog. Three dogs? The year of the three-headed dog. The idea at the time was to put my love of all things myth in a blender and see what came out. In this case, Cerberus, the three noggin-ed guard of the gates of Hades sprung forth, draped in a pop-surrealist / cartoon aesthetic. My second piece was a flailing attempt at mixing ancient Egyptian design themes with the same retro-toon style. It was awful. You will never see it, and should thank me for that. It more-or-less buried this concept and approach in the deepest of holes.
After moving back to Japan, my wife suggested I re-visit the theme to use as nengajyou, (New Year’s cards).
My style had evolved quite a bit by that time, from my drawing technique to the materials I was using. Appropriately*, the rat (or mouse if you prefer) was the first to get made with this approach.
I’ve tried to make one new piece a year (even though the practice of sending nengajyou is gradually fading into history). Lining up the art gives a pretty good idea how my style, visual symbolism, and interests have shifted over the next decade and change.
Here, knock yourselves out: Rat, Ox / Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon (revisited), Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar/ Pig**
The core themes however have remained the same.
the animal is the platonic ideal of its species - the first and most perfect form from which all earthly versions emanate; something between a physical deity and a spirit
the animal coexists with nature, often growing out of, merging with, or transforming into an environmental feature
the animal exists outside of a relationship with humankind
the image includes symbols often associated with the new year, with rebirth and life: pine trees, plum blossoms, bamboo, etc.
Over the years, many of these have been featured in exhibitions throughout the world, and there are those that have left to find their own way in the world.
Now, four remain: the alabaster serpent, the shadowy stallion, the dragon of the waterfall, and ram at the top of the world. I’m not exaggerating when I say that these are among my favorites. For various reasons, they never made the trip to galleries overseas, and I’m thrilled to finally offer them to the world today.
Part 2, wherein I discuss the nail-gnawing trepidation and my dabbling with selling art online is coming soon.
*the rat is considered the first of the animals in the Chinese zodiac. Because rats are cheats. Seriously, read the story.
**the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that some animals are missing links. The rooster is easiest to explain; I just haven’t written about it yet. The boar, well, I’ve actually done three of them - the first was in a different style, the second is more of a yokai and the most recent is waiting to make its appearance with a new series. The monkey…sigh. I’ve made a whole swarm of monkey art over the years, but none of them quite fit this series. Maybe the next will be a good match for the new boar?
