What is this art style? Pastels, Japanese street scenes, vivid skies.
June 4, 2020 7:12 PM Subscribe
What are some terms I can search to find the type of art I'm looking for?
I recently bought prints by SeerLight (the Spirited Away and Totoro ones) and Haylee Morice (#s 1, 2, and 30). I also really like this art by Surudenise. How do I find more of it? (Preferably on Etsy since I have a gift certificate.)
Lots of pinks/purples/pastels, street scenes, often in Japan, often depicting scenes of regular life - cozy rooms, on trains, that sort of thing. Often very vivid sunrises/sunsets/sky. The terms cyberpunk and vaporwave kiiiind of get me there but cyberpunk tends to turn up shinier, harder, art (and a lot of Cyberpunk 2077 stuff). I don't really know how to articulate what I'm looking for, except for more stuff like the examples I listed above, so I'm hoping someone has suggestions for me. Thanks!
I recently bought prints by SeerLight (the Spirited Away and Totoro ones) and Haylee Morice (#s 1, 2, and 30). I also really like this art by Surudenise. How do I find more of it? (Preferably on Etsy since I have a gift certificate.)
Lots of pinks/purples/pastels, street scenes, often in Japan, often depicting scenes of regular life - cozy rooms, on trains, that sort of thing. Often very vivid sunrises/sunsets/sky. The terms cyberpunk and vaporwave kiiiind of get me there but cyberpunk tends to turn up shinier, harder, art (and a lot of Cyberpunk 2077 stuff). I don't really know how to articulate what I'm looking for, except for more stuff like the examples I listed above, so I'm hoping someone has suggestions for me. Thanks!
sky, are you referring to only contemporary works, or to the broader tradition of Japanese woodblock prints that these artists draw from? I don’t think there is a term that specifically addresses the content and topics your describe with regard to contemporary work, but the broader tradition of Japanese woodblock prints that appears to inform and inspire these artists is referred to as ukiyo-e.
Perhaps try some image searches combining your cited subjects with ukiyo-e and see what turns up?
In 2010, SAAM hosted a lovely ukiyo-e show. They are closed at the moment due to C19, of course, but they have been a wonderful venue for contemporary Asian art over the past decade or more and I bet if you drop a line to anyone associated with SAAM you will find a very bored, very well informed art historian highly motivated to help you refine what you are after here.
Good luck, and stay safe.
posted by mwhybark at 12:35 AM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Perhaps try some image searches combining your cited subjects with ukiyo-e and see what turns up?
In 2010, SAAM hosted a lovely ukiyo-e show. They are closed at the moment due to C19, of course, but they have been a wonderful venue for contemporary Asian art over the past decade or more and I bet if you drop a line to anyone associated with SAAM you will find a very bored, very well informed art historian highly motivated to help you refine what you are after here.
Good luck, and stay safe.
posted by mwhybark at 12:35 AM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Technically speaking, this is environmental art - scenes of places rather than people. I knew exactly what you were talking about before I even saw your examples. there really isn't a name for it, but to be blunt - it's westernized anime.
More examples:
Elora
posted by FirstMateKate at 7:53 AM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
More examples:
Elora
posted by FirstMateKate at 7:53 AM on June 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Your first link looks very much like a fushion of ukiyo-e styles (especially the 19th century) with more modern subjects. See the third image at the top of this link for the type I'm thinking of - more of the landcape oriented prints. It's the relatively flat colours, fine lines that echo the woodcut prints.
Your second two links don't resemble ukiyo-e to the same extent - though if they are Japanese/Japanese-inspired artists, they probably can't help but be influenced by it. They look more anime-style, including the relatively light colours.
posted by jb at 8:20 AM on June 5, 2020
Your second two links don't resemble ukiyo-e to the same extent - though if they are Japanese/Japanese-inspired artists, they probably can't help but be influenced by it. They look more anime-style, including the relatively light colours.
posted by jb at 8:20 AM on June 5, 2020
Color-wise, they use the cut-out-the-center-of-the-spectrum trick. Usually that means no yellow. Sometimes, no green.
Here's another way to put it: for a natural look, the color spectrum will be deep red at one end, blend and brighten across the spectrum, and darken again to blue at the other end. No purple.
With the trick, green or blue is at one end and blends, staying fairly bright, across violet to red and stops at orange. No yellow.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 2:31 PM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Here's another way to put it: for a natural look, the color spectrum will be deep red at one end, blend and brighten across the spectrum, and darken again to blue at the other end. No purple.
With the trick, green or blue is at one end and blends, staying fairly bright, across violet to red and stops at orange. No yellow.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 2:31 PM on June 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
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