Year

1995

Degree Name

Doctor of Creative Arts

Department

Faculty of Creative Arts

Abstract

This research centres on an artist's search for personal identity in the late twentieth century—in a postnational and postcolonial context. A n autobiographical approach has been used to show how this Japanese artist's identity has been built from the ambivalence between personal and social matters, tradition and modernity, rural culture and urban culture and the East and West. The research has been expressed through a series of major exhibitions of artworks, including two preliminary exhibitions in 'The Long Gallery', University of Wollongong and exhibitions under the following titles, Where Have I Come From? - Where Am I Going? Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney, 1994 and Open Up The Shelter Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney, 1995.

The artworks and the dissertation accompanying the exhibited work are concerned with the needs of artists to establish an identity independent from the society in which they live, while maintaining a responsibility towards that society, and how their work should be consistent with both this independence and responsibility. The present state of post-Cold-War pluralism is seen as presenting crises for artists and the author seeks to find the basis for the artist's identity in the sphere of personal responsibility.

The author's own art development is part of this period. The written documentation uses a personal history as a starting point for discussion of this artistic investigation into the culture and ethos of post-war Japan and its self-positioning in the global context. Through a discussion of the works of artists, w h o in the author's opinion reflect a sense of independent responsibility, and through an analysis of his own art works, the document gives insight into this search for personal artistic identity.

Comments

Accompanying video can be consulted with the hard copy of the thesis in the Archives Collection, call no. is 759.952/8

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Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.