Tag: japan

Dog Art Today Turns 4: Please Give to Japan’s Pets

A woman with her pet dog and belongings pauses on the way from her devastated area in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, Monday, March 14, 2011, AP Photo

Usually on this blog's birthday I raffle a gift to a Dog Art Today reader. This year, I'm proposing we all give a gift in the form of a donation to World Vets. This 501(c) 3 non-profit is already on the ground in Japan setting up shelters, working with local animal rescues, and coordinating veterinary treatment and shipments of medical supplies. Any amount, even $1, would help.

Please know, giving to an animal rescue by no means implies I value animals over people. But many times pets are not allowed into shelters. There are rumors that pet owners have tied zip lock bags with money to their dogs' collars, knowing they had to leave them behind, but providing for them with this small gesture. Giving to World Vets is a way to support experts who can address the needs of these animals and give the other rescue teams, the ones focusing on human survivors, peace of mind. (Dr. V at Pawcurious writes about "Why Animal Rescues Matter" eloquently here.)

On a personal note, I have been in many smaller earthquakes during my life in Los Angeles. Every time, as the earth roared and turned to liquid, I clung to my dog and found stability. I don't know what I would have done if I had to leave him behind. Thank you in advance for your donations, and thank you for your continued readership of Dog Art Today. It is my pleasure to share it with you.

This is a coordinated effort of many pet bloggers. Track the progress of this virtual fundraiser and give what you can via this widget:

If you are a blogger and would like to post the widget on your blog, click here. For updates and rescue stories "like" World Vets on Facebook.

A family and their pet dog take shelter in an evacuation center for pets and their owners near a devastated area hit by earthquake and tsunami in Kesennuma, north of Japan, March 17, 2011. Reuters Pictures

A woman holds her dog as they are scanned for radiation at a temporary scanning center for residents living close to the quake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant Wednesday, March 16, 2011, in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. AP Photo

A family along with their pet dog warm themselves around a stove at an evacuation center in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan, Thursday, March 17, 2011. AP Photo

A man holds his dog as they wait to be scanned for radiation exposure at a temporary scanning center for residents living close to the quake-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant Wednesday, March 16, 2011, in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. AP Photo

A woman shares her food with her dog at an evacuation center for pets and their owners near an area devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in Kesennuma, north Japan March 17, 2011. Reuters Pictures

A woman sleeps with her dog at an evacuation center for pets and their owners near a devastated area hit by an earthquake and tsunami in Kesennuma, north of Japan March 17, 2011. Reuters Pictures

All photos via daylife. See more here.

Thank you. And please pass it on.

March 18, 2011
Sabrina Movie Posters from Around the World

Japan

"Sabrina," the 1954 film by director Billy Wilder based on the play "Sabrina Fair" by Samuel Taylor which is inspired by a poem by John Milton, has always been a McLaughlin family favorite. My Dad loves this movie and shared it enthusiastically with his four daughters. I remember thinking Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy ballgown was the most beautiful dress ever worn. I still do. My sister introduced her husband to the film two years and a few months later they welcomed their daughter to the world and named her Sabrina.

On June 23, 2010 Christie's in London will be having a vintage poster sale that includes this Japanese unfolded one-sheet (above) up for auction for an estimated price of $441 – $736. Searching for an image I could use (Christie's makes it hard to pull images off their site), I found these Sabrina posters at MovieGoods.com, priced for $19.99 – $ 29.99. In the film, Sabrina has a chic little Poodle she returns home from Paris with. I suppose the black and white poster Poodles are metaphors for the two brothers, the playboy and the grumpy workaholic, who try to woo her. It's always fascinating to see how different countries market movies. Which one is your favorite?

Italy

Spain

United States

France (this is her real Poodle in the film, but where is Humphrey Bogart?)

Poland

My favorite is the Japanese version…but I like the US version too…and the Italian one…Actually I have changed my favorite twice. And, what is up with Poland, a country with a history of some of the greatest graphic art posters in the world?! Seriously? See more at MovieGoods.com.

P.S. I never knew about the play "Sabrina Fair" by Samuel Taylor or the John Milton song, which is quoted in the play but only referenced in the film, from his 1634 masque Comus:

Sabrina fair,
Listen where thou art sitting
Under the glassy, cool, translucent wave,
In twisted braids of lilies knitting
The loose train of thy amber-dropping hair;
Listen for dear honour's sake,
Goddess of the silver lake,
Listen and save.

P.P.S. Wendell Jamieson of The New York Times recently recommended having a gin or vodka martini, chilled, straight up, with olives while viewing "Sabrina" I think Champagne would be appropriate too, since the Champagne flutes play a key role in the film. More great ideas for DVD and cocktail pairings here.

P.P.P.S. I recently watch Sydney Pollock's 1995 remake of "Sabrina" on HBO, and while it's not as bad as I remember it, really what is the point?

June 17, 2010
Daido Moriyama’s Stray Dog on Sale at Christie’s

A print of famed Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama’s iconic 1971 Stray Dog is up for auction tomorrow, April 15, 2010 at Christie’s in NYC. It is estimated to go for $10,000 to $15,000. Something to consider if you have a nice tax refund this week. Visit Christie’s to place a bid.

Stray Dog of Tokyo
is the name of the 2009 documentary of Daido Moriyama made by director Kenjiro Fujii. It is available on DVD at Amazon.

Here is the trailer…

April 14, 2010
Seitaro Kuroda’s Mad Dog Show

I owe you all an apology, especially those who like Japanese-contemporary-dog-art-live-drawing-to-Tom-Waits exhibitions. I love them. But in the flurry of Christmas gift guides, I missed telling you about Seitaro Kuroda's Mad Dog Show at the hpgrp gallery in NYC last October.

Kuroda did a weekend-long live drawing session exploring the idea that dogs might not be that into domestication by humans, and perhaps they are mad about this. How would we know, since we are too busy obsessing over their cuteness. Kuroda produced dozens of Mad Dog drawings as he listened to the soulful songs of one of my favorite singers, Tom Waits, "whose music has been compared by the artist to barking dog."

This event sounds like perfection to me. If they had a tasty cheese platter, fresh-baked baguettes and a Shiraz served in crystal stemware, it I would consider it Nirvana, because dogs were welcome too.

So, since I can't undo letting this dog art news slip through the cracks, I am attempting to recreate it for you. First, click on the YouTube video of Tom Waits singing Ol' 55…

…then scroll down and enjoy the Mad Dogs and the photos of Kuroda at work. You might also want to pour yourself a glass of wine and snuggle up with your dog and ask him if he's mad.

I going going to put on Tom Waits: The Early Years, Vol. 2, and make some art. I feel very lucky that this is my life.

Via Moco Loco.

January 9, 2009
Zen Dog Art

Conan, a devout Chihuahua who lives with his master, Zen Buddhist priest, Joei Yoshikuni, has become not only a tourist attraction at his temple in southern Japan, but an international sensation on the Internet too. He showed up in my inbox today courtesy of my Dad who can’t help but compare Conan to his super talented Minnie. Minnie might know more tricks, but I think Conan has a better press agent.

This praying pup inspired me to feature several non-western pieces of dog art I’ve been collecting over the past year. Enjoy!

Mother Dog and Puppies by Lee Am, 1507-1566

Scratching Dog by Kim Du-Ryang, 1743

Sapsalgae by Kim Du-Ryang, 1743

Puppies by Maruyama Okyo, Edo Period. Courtesy of the Miho Museum in Japan

Title and painter unknown via this lovely Korean blog. (If anyone can translate, let me know.)

Another mystery image from the same blog

Detail of 16th century Korean scroll attributed to Yi Am, 1499-1566. Via Cascada

Also, may I recommend, Judith Adler’s look at our pets as spiritual creatures in the Buddhist tradition in her book Zen Dog, with photos by Toni Tucker.

My dox-ZEN print is now available at my Etsy shop

Oh…and one more shot of Conan…

Coming soon…Minnie’s first movie featuring all her tricks and her fabulous trainer! Until then, visit her website here.

March 24, 2008
Dog Man by Martha Sherrill

Morie Sawatishi and one of his beloved Akitas.

Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill is not exactly a dog art book. It sounds more like a book about the art of living your life…with dogs. It’s an account of Morie Sawatishi a mild-mannered engineer who gave up a better life to devote himself to saving the dying breed of Akitas in Japan. Cathleen MacGuigan of Newsweek writes…

"This is one of those small but rich books on a seemingly arcane subject—a passionate dog lover in the remote mountains of Japan’s snow country—that is ultimately about something much greater. The story of Morie Sawataishi and his magnificent dogs—with their superior intelligence, stamina, fearlessness and almost spiritual calm—is really about the search for enduring values and the determination to live life on one’s own terms."

I can’t wait to read it!

You can buy Dog Man here.

March 11, 2008
The Graphics of Japanese Dog by Kazuya Takaoka and Sachiko Kuru

If you love dogs, graphic design, and Japanese aesthetics as much as I do, here is the perfect book for you: The Graphics Of The Japanese Dog by Kazuya Takaoka and Sachiko Kuru. While the dogs playfully narrate the various chapters on breed information, the designers, Takaoka and Kuru, intersperse the pages with beautiful typography.

Featured dogs include, Kawakami-ken, Kai-ken, Shikoku-ken, Kishu-ken, Shiba Inu, Akita Inu, Hokkaido-ken, Ryukyu-ken, Tosa Token, Chin, Japanese Spitz, and the Japanese Terrier. I have never heard of several of these dogs, but what an enjoyable way to discover a whole new world of dog breeds. Magnificent!

Via design: related.

February 27, 2008