Posts tagged ‘japan’
Kagemu X Black Sun X Paris
Take a look at this incredible art/dance piece by Artist Nobuyuki Hanabusa and dancer Katsumi Sakakura, together known as Kagemu.
Kagemu’s Black Sun is a meticulously choreographed projection of motiongraphics onto dance, combining traditional and modern elements of Japanese culture and martial arts. Artist Nobuyuki Hanabusa and dancer Katsumi Sakakura, together known as Kagemu, have since been widely imitated by others, including Beyoncé.
Orientarhythm, created in 1991, is an original dance style that features the movement and the rhythm of the Karate and Kabuki. That is: the traditional culture of Japan with Street dance. Japan’s traditional culture has “Japanese Cool” crystallized in it. Kagemu first started to study the uniqueness of Japan’s traditional culture, and realized that Karate stances and Kabuki poses have distinct rhythm and movements. They extracted this rhythm and movement, and combined it with street dance to create a totally new type of dance.
Below, Hanabusa talks about the creative process behind the innovative performance and his take on the Beyoncé story.
What is your artistic background? How did you come to work in the medium of projected motion graphics?
Nobuyuki Hanabusa: I am very influenced by Ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints) artists such as Hokusai Katsushika, but more than that, Japanese comics and movies with VFX like Star Wars have influenced me a lot. I love to imagine invisible things from childhood.
Black Sun draws on traditional Japanese theater, martial arts and aesthetics to create something totally modern. How did you collaborate with Orientarhythm to develop this piece? What was your inspiration?
When I was thinking about creating something mixed of live action and video picture, I met Orientarhythm and we created the unit called Kagemu. Since space on dance stages is limited, we came up with this process that enables our performance with simple equipment. After a continuing process of trial and error, Katsumi Sakakura, the dancer, and I refined our idea.
There has always been a culture in Japan that values the minimum, such as the simplest design expresses the perspective of the world. The culture takes root in graphics and influences Black Sun, which leads us to portray Japan without images like ‘geisha’ or ‘Fujiyama.’
In addition, Orientarhythm introduces into their dances the motion of Japanese fighting sports. It is traditional but also gives people a modern impression as the dances are connected with modernistic elements of motion graphics.
We could not do Black Sun without Orientarhythm, Sakakura’s original style. He originated Orientarhythm by combining street dance with the intermittent rhythm and straight-line motion of Japanese traditional culture such as Karate and Kabuki.
How did you create the imagery used in the piece?
Here is the process of the movie. First, I shoot the dances and scan the data into a computer. I analyze the motion of a dancer one frame at a time and lay out my graphics in an appropriate position. By continuing this process, I create the animation linked with the dancer.
The Creators Project recently wrote about the debate around Beyoncé’s 2011 Billboard Awards performance vs. Lorella Cuccarini’s 2010 performance, tracing the inspiration for both back to your work in 2009. How do you feel about the situation?
I think all creators in the modern world are influenced by old pieces in some way. In that sense, a purely original piece does not exist. However, as long as the creators have pride in themselves, I believe they will pursue a new piece or originality. As one of the creators, I honestly regret this case and want the world to know that our performance is the original one.
What’s next for you?
Kagemu is currently working on a new piece with a different style from Black Sun. For my personal works, I am thinking about creating motion pictures that enable viewers to participate in the pieces.
For more videos by Nobuyuki Hanabusa, see http://hana-busa.jp/.
To see more work by Orientarhythm, visit http://www.orientarhythm.com/.
Interview via The Atlantic
Mastermind Japan
Mastermind Japan is a brand of clothing specializing in high end Japanese streetwear. Mastermind Japan shares very little about itself to the world. Keeping a low profile has helped to push the prices by creating mystery behind the label along with allowing the designs to speak for themselves. Mastermind Japan is best described as a punk inspired label, or in other words alternative. While the label hosts mostly men’s apparel there are a few products available for women as well.
Mastermind Japan was founded in 1997 by clothing designer Masaaki Honma. There was a short wait for the first menswear show which was held in Tokyo’s Harajuku region in 1999. In 2001 Mastermind Japan began to expand to foreign markets. The first expansion was to Paris where the initial foreign trade shows were held. Finally in the year 2006 Mastermind Japan decided to work with Goyard, a notorious bag maker, presenting a grand collection.
The specific type of clothes and products Mastermind Japan offer changes from time-to-time. The apparel includes shirts, jackets, shoes, beanies, vests, along with a limited amount of pants. Currently, the label has done best in the markets of Japan and France. One representation commonly found with each product by Mastermind Japan is the skull and crossbones design. That famous brand is always located randomly on the clothes, whether it be the main design of the piece or simply on the tag.
Mastermind Japan X Building Carre: Furniture Collection
Mastermind Japan has gotten together with Building Carre to produce a small capsule collection of furniture. The line consists of a carpet and a series of tables. The tables feature a subtle silver mastermind Japan logo plate. Look out for a release soon.
Via Secret Base
