Utagawa Woodblock Print Exhibition, Cats & Rock

 

Went to a large UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI ( 1798 - 1861 ) Exhibition in Nakanoshima, Osaka Thursday 2025/1/23. He was one of the last masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock printing.  No photos allowed, except for 3 of his most famous works, but bought the full color 323 page exhibition book.  

Lots of samurai, monsters, ghosts, lovely ladies, landscapes (he is the guy that did "The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō"), comical stories and cats. Lots of comical cats 😀 

Walking along the river with all the huge office buildings was kind of nice. 

I had no memory of the stairs to Exit1 out of Watanabebashi Station being so long though. I had to have rest twice climbing them! About 3 floor worth. Next time I need to check where the elevator is.

Had been to the metal frame and glass structured building next door before, but first time to the main black museum building.   

The first Exhibition for me in 2025. Expect to go to a few more as the year goes on 😀, just don't know about them yet.

Off the cuff 7 string DROP G# ditty in the animation is also here on Bandcamp

UTAGAWA also did single page illustrated stories, which are kind of early manga to my way of thinking. An interesting approach. An illustration, with a story at the top. So I tried something here along those lines, on CATS:

This is of course based on my own cat, or rather the cat I am the emotional support and servant human for.  He is a small person to me, who communicates without any problem. I find that fascinating.

Another thing that happened recently is I finished the included free with prime Oppenhiemer. Saw it over about 5 days in 4 sittings.  It is at least an hour too long. It is interesting to me that Americans, generally, rate it far higher than other countries.  I don't think it is a great movie.  Considering all the things included, and excluded, it does not do the subject justice, even if the focus is just the man himself.  I find it difficult to believe that some people find the non linear narrative hard to follow, they just must not be very bright...  

A few lines I really liked though, without giving anything away, "it was me that made the decision",  "Don't let that chicken liver in to see me again", "maybe they were not talking about you, but something important" and "a senator from Massachusetts, J.F. Kennedy, didn't like...". 

Cyberpunk Edgerunners is an animated series on Netflix have started.  The colors are really something. A European director, but animated in Japan.  But I do wish some one would do a future that is bright and fabulous, and not a dystopian hell hole. 

It Might Get Loud, a documentary talking with 3 guitarists, has an interesting structure.

I don't remember anything with Jimmy Page talking before. I sometimes found him hard to understand though, and his mouth seemed a little "to one side" and it struck me "has he had a stroke?".  That is maybe why he was out of public view so much recovering. Don't know.  I was never a huge Zeppelin fan, Deep Purple being my thing back then.

But it is Link Wray - Rumble that is the biggest shock to my musical education. I have no memory of ever hearing this 1958 track before. The start of distorted guitar rock that really hits the spot. And I wonder how that could be.

Just by growing up in isolated Australia in the 60s & 70s, dominated by Payola TOP40 AM Radio, I wonder?

 

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