On October 23, 2018, our class embarked on a visit to the Japan Society located on East 47^th Street between Second Avenue and United Nations Plaza to see an art exhibition by Japanese artist Yasumasa Morimura.  Morimura is an idiosyncratic individual known for altering historical Western paintings and famous photos by inserting his face and body into the images.  Some of the artists Morimura has mocked include Leonardo Da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kohl, Rembrandt, Cindy Sherman, and more.  Morimura has also superimposed himself on self-portraits of celebrities and influential figures like Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, Albert Einstein, and Mao Zedong.

The most unusual and disturbing part of his artworks is he frequently cross-dresses and utilizes makeup to make himself look like a woman, and he often includes images of partial or full nudity.  Many of the chromogenic prints, paintings, and the two films showcased at the exhibit included the illusion of female breasts, male genitalia, pubic hair, and indicators of feminine beauty standards like shaved legs and excessive makeup.  While seeing the images may make some disgusted or uncomfortable, the purpose is to challenge the traditional standards and presumptions of Western and Eastern art, the physical appearance and gaze of male and female figures, and the appropriation of different cultures.  Morimura can be characterized as challenging authority, progressive, and experimental with his methods of artistic expression to send a social, cultural, and political message to the viewers of his works.

The artwork that caught my eye was A Requiem:  Unexpected Visitors/1945, Japan.  While this chromogenic print isn’t as eccentric as the other artworks on display at the exhibit, this print depicts Morimura’s interpretation of a famous photo taken following the surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of World War II.  The photo shows General Douglas MacArthur of the United States forces standing next to Emperor Hirohito during their first official meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.  The Japanese people were angered when the photo was published in newspapers because of the appearance of General MacArthur casually towering over the emperor, who was viewed as a god to the Japanese people.  The photo is significant for showcasing the U.S. dominance of the Empire of Japan, but also for allowing the Japanese government to remain in power, unlike the abolishment of the Nazi government in Germany following their surrender to the Allied Powers.  Morimura not only inserts his face on both General MacArthur and the emperor, but he also changes the background of the photo to display his parents’ tea shop and home, according to the accompanying exhibit label.

The print highlights a play on interpretations, perspective, and circumstance.  The print changes the significance of the original photo, making the print appear like an ordinary photo of two men standing next to each other in a tea shop.  The tea shop background also culturally changes the photo from the Western-styled office in the original photo to a Japanese tea shop, another signature characteristic of Morimura’s artwork.  I am a big history buff, particularly for World War II, and so seeing this print sparked my interest as I immediately recognized it.  I find it peculiar how Morimura’s prints are so categorically different ranging from radical naked images of himself pretending to be a woman to casual photos of historical figures.  The overall experience at the Japan Society was strange and different, but in a good way as the visit highlighted a style of art and themes my classmates and I aren’t familiar with.

—Patrick Perrigo