Wonderland again.
If you have a walk in Shinjuku-ku, betwwen Takadanobaba and Toyama Campus, you may find the "cosmic street" and what seem to be the clues of a giant cluedo, spread all around on the street. I still have no idea of the meaning of all this, but it's part of the magic of daily enchanted Tokyo !

Shiny shoes required


Practice painting


or maths


or drawing


Go to the pool


Be nice to the froggies


No music, no life

This is the hot potatoe of the day : a traditionalist association is loudly criticizing the exhibition of Murakami Takeshi, the creator of the "Superflat" aesthetics - and one of the most popular contemporary artist/designer in the world - which is currently taking place in our old castle of Versailles. Of course, the contrast between the magnificient French palace and the Japanese manga-inspired and derision-based style of Murakami is just huge, and we can understand that some people don't like the mix  especially the ones who are not used to nowadays' contemporary art matching trends. But for this association, it's not about the beauty of the mix, it's not about the historic consistency of the site - because Murakami's sculptures are not going to stay there forever, so there is no reason to fear about that ; it's all about the fact that Versailles is a "French" castle, which has to remain "French". Obviously, they did not judge the previous French artists' exhibitions in Versailles as "scandalous". In other words, Murakami is too Japanese for Versailles. It's just sad that some French people have such prejudices about French art and architecture, because we are supposed to be culturally opened and to promote artistic emotions all over the world. Anyway, this close-minded reaction is buzzing for Murakami and the exhibition is already a success !
In my opinion, this is exactly what the two styles need. Supeflat sculptures are not beautiful by themselves, they need to be seen in a landscape or in a special frame to be meaningful. For Versailles, let's face it, the place is a bit sad ! With these colors inside, the wonderful palace seems so be lightened from inside... But above all, Murakami has been invited there and we should just enjoy it...

Et au milieu coule une rivière

世の中は三日見ぬ間の桜かな

よ の なか　は　みっか　みぬ　ま　の　さくら　かな
Yo No Naka Ha MikKa MiNu Ma No Sakura KaNa
le monde change aussi vite le cerisier qu'on ne regarde pas pendant trois jours

一日千秋の思い

いちじつ　せんしゅう　の　おもい
IchiJitsu SenShû No OmoI
Ressentir un jour comme cent automnes

上田の写真が大好きです。しずかな世界を見せます。かれの瞳でしぜんや人を見たいです。

Les photos de Shoji Ueda ont l'art de tout magnifier. Les choses banales irradient soudain une indiscutable beauté - non pas la beauté bizarre baudelairienne, mais une beauté de blanc et de noir, lunaire, une beauté contemplative, délicate, qui s'approche beaucoup de ma vision du Japon.

Ueda-san est né à l'Ouest, dans le Tattori, en 1913 - il a donc vécu dans son intégralité ce siècle si désenchanteur et si coloré, ce qui fait de son oeuvre celle du contrepied absolu.
Sa région natale a inspiré ses plus beaux clichés, ceux du "théâtre de dunes", où se détachent des silhouettes atemporelles... L'arrière-plan est simplifié au maximum, pour mieux valoriser les sujets qui en ressortent toujours teintés d'onirisme.

Ce qui est curieux, c'est que les clichés de Shoji Ueda en terre européenne sont beaucoup moins remarquables que ceux inspirés par sa terre natale. On reste le produit de son sol...

Deux ans avant sa mort,  Ueda a reçu le titre de Trésor National. Sa façon de voir le monde reste quant à elle un trésor tout court.

Shoji Ueda's pictures make the world gorgeous. Daily little things immediatly reaveal their deepest beauty - not a weird beauty as described by Baudelaire, but a black-and-white, lunar, delicate and passive beauty, which is very close to my own vision of Japan.

Ueda was born in the Tattori aera, Western Japan, in 1913. His works are totally at the opposite of this colourful and misenchanted century. His native region inspired to him his most amazing photos, such as "Dune theatre", where you can see timelessfigures... Backgrounds are always pure, in order to promote the poetry of subjects of the pics themselves.

It is strange to notice that Ueda's pictures in Europe are not so good. Native ground matters...

The artist received the title of National Treasure two years before dying. His way to look at the world is still a pure treasure.