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Not your parents' cartoons
Japanese animation, or anime, is not the happy-happy world of American Saturday morning shows.
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[Courtesy of Mariko Mori]
Kumano by Mariko Mori is a video showing at the “My Reality” exhibit at the Tampa Museum of Art. |
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 25, 2002
TAMPA -- A wondrous world exists where schoolgirls become superheroes, machines match wits with their makers and smiling red rabbits grow 20 feet tall.
This is the world of Japanese animation, or "anime," the subject of a new show at the Tampa Museum of Art.
Those familiar with Pokemon, Cardcaptors or Dragon Ball Z know well the influence of anime on children's television, toys and games. But anime isn't just for kids.
The art evolved from black and white comic books, known as manga, drawn in post-World War II Japan. The intricate story lines, along with the books' low cost, made them an escape for a culture struggling to redefine itself.
The jump from drawing to cartoon was made by Osamu Tezuka, whose animated series, AstroBoy, appeared on American television in 1964. Arriving during a time of unrest in the United States, the show about a flying boy dressed in a tight blue outfit with a shark fin cap captivated a generation of artists.
The results of this fascination are apparent throughout the exhibit.
Standing guard at the entrance are the two inflatable rubber rabbit creations of Momoyo Torimitsu's Somehow I Don't Feel Comfortable. The work was designed to have the creatures crowded and stooped inside a small space, which the museum accommodated by lowering the gallery ceiling. The effect is a bit disconcerting as oversized eyes stare at the viewer. These jolly giants, with their wide smiles, are intimidating in a friendly sort of way.
The ditzy-yet-gallant Sailor Moon appears in Angry Girl by Taro Chiezo. The artist combines a computer-generated image of the heroine with painted abstract forms resembling a red ball flashing with lightning.
Artist Charlie White created Joshua, a being that combines the traits of ALF and Kermit the Frog. He is a central figure in Ken's Basement, where he attends a party of sexually charged teenagers. The naturalness of the people around him makes the scene more believable. The intense and sultry look from his young, dark-haired admirer is both intriguing and repulsive as she reaches out to draw ice cream along Joshua's lips.
"In the West, when we think of animation we think of Disney or Warner Brothers. In Japan, there are adults who are very much in love with this genre," said Elaine Gustafson, curator of contemporary art at the museum. "Animation audiences range from young children, who might watch Hello Kitty, to adult shows discussing themes that children might not pick up on."
These themes include questioning gender roles, worlds where fantastic and sometimes deadly creatures roam and technologically friendly futures. Many story lines also contain ancient deities, powerful warriors, bloody battles and the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
PREVIEW
"My Reality" at the Tampa Museum of Art, 600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa, through June 23. Adults $5, seniors $4, children, $3. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call (813) 274-8130.
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