Otsuka Bijutsukan

[Abe' Mark Nornes]

Aside from some fascinating stuff about the plaster casts, Julie wrote:

> The history of plaster casts in America suggests the large scale
> reproduction of orginal and far-flung art work, although it seems like an
> "only in Japan" kind of thing, cannot be considered an essentially Japanese
> impulse...What
> do other people think about the "Japaness" of this project?

The "only in Japan" comment was, of course, meant to be taken very lightly.
There's nothing essentially Japanese about copying art. However, there are a
number of local factors that make this phenomenon possible in Japan, today.
The proliferation of imagery in the Baudrillardian sense. The association of
European, and to some extent American, art with high culture and its
position as a major target for tourism. The bubble era legasy of empty
museums in the hinterlands---beautiful buildings, no art. Japanese based
corporations' acquisition of Western masterpieces for their PR value.
Perhaps the location is important as well; I would bet that there are plenty
of people like my sister-in-law who enjoy Western art but have no intention
to leave the island.  Julie's example of the plastic casts sounds nearly
identical, but you could say it's a lot like the Nike "museums," too.

amn