Nov. 22 - Japanese Pop Art

I’m up untypically early, so I can see the big city wake up. Or rather so that it can see me wake up, while I wait down at Ueno Station for the money machine to open. Still have the feeling I might be able to use my remaining days here in an efficient manner. Thankfully the weather is behaving it self – I was really worried last night about the homeless out there in the open. I also finally get some business cards made in proper thick paper – 7½ weeks late – while my attempts at getting out enough money for the shipping agent come to naught. Bugger all, again.

When arriving at Tokyo I saw some poster for a Shinro Ohtake retrospective, at The Museum of Contemporary Art. SO is an artist, whose style is reminiscent of the American pop art master Rauschenberg’s, who is another favourite of mine. The exhibit of 2,000+ of his works is enormous, and at least as large as the museum’s permanent collection. Ohtake must have been incredibly productive, and on top of that he has worked in several different styles: Aside from the dominant and rather impressive collages, the rooms are filled to the brink with etchings, coal drawings, oil paintings, sculptures, photos, bent neon light etc. etc. The cost of taking even a small representative part of this exhibit to The West will be astronomical, but I really would love to have more people outside Japan see this. Google him, if you’re curious enough about this.

At dusk I’m back at Tourist Information, where by now they know I’m not the type to give up easily, if I want them to find something for me. I have really expressed my gratitude (tactically a wise move) when they got something right for me, so at their own initiative the have located some more Manga-shops, where I intend to find some things for my Manga-crazed niece back home. And some more bike-shops too, here as I show up for the third time today. The two girls are really something, especially compared to the airheads who stood behind the same counter six weeks ago.