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The Japanese Mingei Movement and Catalan Artists

(1)

Ricard Bru

Themingeimovementbegantotakeformin1926,whenYanagiSōetsu, togetherwithHamadaShōji andKawaiKanjirō, established the foundationsof theNihon Mingei Kyōkai,theJapaneseFolkCrafts Association,aimedatcollecting,studyinganddisseminatingappreciationandknowledgeofmingeihin,Japanesefolkartsandcrafts.Fiveyears later, theassociationcreated theKōgeimonthlymagazine,while in1936YanagifoundedaspecificmuseuminTokyo,theNihon Mingeikan.Thus,intenyears,themingeimovementtookshapearoundaseriesofpeoplewhobelievedintheaestheticandspiritualbeautyofmanyfunctionalandeverydaypiecesthat,untilthatmoment,hadbeenexcludedfromthegreatmuseums,fromhistoryandfrompublicrecognition.Manystudieshavebeenpublishedonthemingei movement,mostofthemstressingthereasonsforandthecontextofitsappearanceandtheimpactthatithashadonJapaneseaestheticsandconsciousness.However, the impact that thismovementhadon foreignershasprobablynotbeencompletelystudied;therewerenumerousEuropeansandAmericanswho,livinginorpassingthroughJapan,weredeeplyattractedbyYanagi’saesthetics,philosophyandideas.Indeed,itwaspreciselyatthattime,duringthethirtiesandforties,thattwoCatalans,EudaldSerraandCelsGomis,travelledseparatelytoJapan,andjustafewyearslatertheywereleadingthespreadoftheJapanesemingeimovement’stheoriesandaestheticsinCatalonia.

EudaldSerra,borninBarcelonain1911,studiedsculptureattheAcademyofFineArts,and,whilestillveryyoung,becameoneofthefirstintroducersofsurrealismintoCatalansculpture.Serrapresentedhissurrealistworks,mainlysculpturesanddrawings,in1935,theyearwhenhedecidedtojoinauniversitystudenttriptoJapantoexploreadifferentculture.Unliketherestof theSpanishtravellers,SerraarrivedinKōbeinsummer1935withtheaimofstayingthereforseveralmonths,althoughat that timehecouldneverhaveguessedthatmonthswouldturnintoyearsduetothestartoftheSpanishCivilWarin1936and,later,theoutbreakofWorldWarII.ThewarforcedhimtoremaininJapanfor13years,until1948,butattheendofhislifehestilldescribedhistimeinJapanasthebestexperienceinhislife:there,heworkedasanartist,hetravelled,hemadenewfriends,hemarriedandhesawthebirthofhisdaughter.

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InJapan,Serraworkedasasculptorandexhibited in individualandcollectiveshows,suchastheNika-tenandtheArtsectionsoftheHankyū andDaimaruDepartmentStores.Fortunately,memories,notes,descriptions,photographs,sculpturesanddrawingshavebeenpreservedasa testimonyofhis life.Duringthefirstyears,hehadto livewithoutmoneywithKorean immigrants inasmallcottageonabeachatKōbebut,ashefoundhisfirstclientsandpatrons,his lifebegantochange,especiallyafterhemarriedEdmondeIba,daughterofaFrenchwomanandaJapanesediplomatwhowasthesonofthepresidentofSumitomo,IbaTeigō.SerrawasgraduallyintroducedtotheworldofJapaneseartandcultureanddiscoveredartistic traditionssuchasceramics,whichbecameoneofhispassions.Atthebeginningoftheforties,Serradecidedtostartexploringotherartistic techniques,notonlyceramicsbutalsoJapanesewoodblockprinting, engravingandeven lacquerwork.Both this technicaldiversificationandtheaesthetic forms thatdominate theworksof thoseyearsconfirm thathequicklydiscoveredandembraced themingeimovement, its aestheticsand itsphilosophy,visitingartists,artisans,ceramists,collectionsandmuseumssuchastheTōyō minzoku habutsukan in Naraand,veryprobably,theNihon MingeikaninTokyo.

Serraalsobecameinterestedinsomeofthethemesexploredbymembersofmingeimovement,particularlyYanagiSōetsu,suchasŌtsu-epaintingsandainuculture.Ōtsu-ewasoneofthesubjectsthatmostattractedYanagi,tothepointthattheywereincludedinmostmingei discourses.Naiveandanonymouspaintings, the Ōtsu-eoftheEdoperiodwereseenasaclearexampleoftheaestheticpurityoftheJapanesecommonpeopleand,assuch,begantobecollectedduringtheTaishōandShōwaperiods.Duringtheforties,Serra, togetherwithJean-PierreHauchecorne (thesonof theFrenchconsul),weretheonlyEuropeansstudyingŌtsu-e inJapan.Asaresult,Serrabuiltupanextensivecollectionthatallowedhim,even, toorganizeanŌtsu-eexhibitioninŌsakain1946.Thecoincidenceof interestswithYanagi isfurther illustratedbythefact that, in thesummerof1947,SerravisitedtheShiraoiandAsahikawaainuvillages,thosesameainuvillagesvisitedsomeweekslaterbyYanagi.SerrawenttoHokkaidōtomeet,hesaid,aforgottenpeoplethatwereabouttodisappear,andaculturethatthemingeimovementtriedtore-evaluate.Hetravelledtherealsotoreproduceseveralportraitsofsomeofthelastainutribalchiefs,suchasMiyamotoekashimatok.

Theartist’s interest inmingei is further emphasized in an interviewofSerrapublishedintheNihon bijutsu kōgei magazinejustafter theendoftheWorldWarII,in1945.Init,theartistspokeofhisspecialinterestnotonlyinfuroshiki,suchasthosemadebySerizawaKeisuke,butalsoinhandmadecraftssuchaskokeshidolls,traditionaltansu furniture,koinobori carp-shapedstreamersandyatatewritingsets.Serraalso

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mentionedceramicsashisgreathobby,withparticularreference toKawaiKanjirō’sworks.Aswecansee, then,duringhislongstayinJapan,Serratravelledalloverthecountry,becominginterestedinfolkartsandstartingnewrelationshipwithcollectors,sellers,artistsandscholars,somethingthatenabledhimtobuildupaprivatemingeicollectionofmorethanathousandpieces.WearetalkingaboutaninterestingcollectionthatdemonstrateshowSerra followed the selectioncriteria andaestheticmodelsdefendedbyYanagiandtheNihon Mingeikan.Serracollected,for instance,allkindsofceramics,fromhaniwatorepresentativepiecesoftheSixAncientKilns,alongwithanonymousceramicsfromtheEdoperiodandmodernpiecesmadebyfutureLivingNationalTreasures,aswellasbyleadingmingeiceramistssuchasHamadaandKawai.Serraalsoboughtasignificantnumberofema,Ōtsu-e, takuhon,signboards,furniture,weavinganddyeingtextiles,sculptures,reliefs instoneandwood,popularfolktoys,lacquerware,strawgoods,masks,ainupieces,oldandnewJapaneseandKoreancrafts,andallkindsofpieceslinkedtotheteaceremony,whichwasanotherofSerra’shobbies.Wecanaffirmthat,apartfromceramics,Serracollectedmostofthosetypesofpieceshighlightedbythemingeimovement.

ForacompleteunderstandingofSerra’swide interest inJapanesefolkarts, it isimportant to take intoconsiderationnotonlyhisprofessionalcontactsbutalsohisprivatelife.Inthisregard,friendssuchasYamanouchiShinpuandCelsGomisfollowedsimilarpaths.Gomis,borninBarcelonain1912,arrivedinJapaninSeptember1939andafewdaysafterhisarrivalmetSerrainTokyo.Evenso,Gomis’interestinpopularfolkcraftsapparentlybeganseparatelyandinparallel:SerrabeganhisapproachtomingeiaestheticsmainlythroughceramicsandGomisdidsothroughtraditionalfolktoys.Fromtheveryfirstmoment,GomisbecamedeeplyattractedbytheJapanesefolktoys(kokeshi,ejiko,Yawata-uma,aka-beko…),tothepointthat,inonlythreemonthsafterarrivingJapan,hewasalreadyvisitingspecializedshopsandmeetingcollectors.Duetohisenthusiasm,hequicklyenteredintothecircleofkyōdo gangucollectors fromKantōandKansai, suchasKomenamiShōichi,WatanabeKō,FukazawaKaname,YamanouchiShinpu andKumoiSeizan(Fig.1).

In Japan,CelsGomis also became agreat admirer ofSerra’swork andboughtseveral of his sculptures, drawings andceramics.SerraandGomissoonstruckupa

Fig. 1. Cels Gomis visiting the kokeshi collection owned by Kumoi Seizan, 1940. Gomis private archive.

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closefriendship,andbegantosharetastesandhobbies.Thus,althoughfromtheverybeginningGomisandSerrametdifferentcirclesofcollectors,artisans,amateursandscholars, it is important tohighlight that,over theyears,someof thosepeopleendedupsharingfriendships.Notsurprisingly,Gomisbuiltuphisownmingeicollection,includingEdoperiodandmodernceramics,craftsproducedforeverydayuseandanextraordinaryselectionoffolk toys includingmorethan400dentō kokeshiproducedbymostof themanufacturers that livedinNorthernJapanduringthefirsthalfof the20thcentury.Apartfromthosecollections,SerraandGomisalsoformedanextensivelibraryonJapanesefolkarts, includingJapanesemagazinesandbookspublishedbyNihon Mingei Kyōkai.Inshort,overtheyearsthatSerraandGomislivedinJapan,from1935to1948,theybecameintimatelyattachedtothemingeimovement,tothepointthattheystudied,learnedandtookdelightedinthoseattractivenewaesthetictheoriesbasedonunself-consciousness,spontaneity,vitality,ruggednessandharmonyofanonymouscraftsforeverydayuseproducedbyordinarypeople.OnlyfromthispointofviewcanweunderstandthattheirpassionforfolkartsdidnotendinJapan.Onthecontrary,backtoBarcelona,theytriedtospreadthemingeimovementinCatalonia.

In1948,SerrareturnedfromKōbetoBarcelona.Gomisarrivedinthesummerof1946butafewmonths later leftforEnglandandlater toArgentina.Thetwofriendsdidn’tmeetagaininBarcelonauntil1952.However,oncebackinthecity,theydecidedtoundertakecommonartisticprojects todisseminatethemingei movementthroughanetworkofcommonfriendsthat,previousto1936,hadbeguntocollaboratetopromotemodernandavant-gardeart inCatalonia.Amongthem, therewere thephotographerJoaquimGomis,brotherofCelsGomis, thereputedceramistsJosepLlorensAtigasandhissonJoanGardyArtigas,andJoanMiró,whowasaclosefriendoftheGomis,ArtigasandSerrafamilies.Asanexampleof thisfriendship,over theyearsJoaquimGomisbecamethefirstpresidentoftheMiróFoundation,whileJosepLlorensArtigasandJoanGardyArtigasbecametheauthorsofthevastmajorityoftheceramicspaintedbyJoanMirófromfortiesonwards.Inthiscontext,in1950,justaftertheendofWorldWarII,havingrecentlyreturnedfromJapan,bothEudaldSerraandCelsGomis(fromthedistanceinArgentina)organizedthefirstJapanesefolkartsexhibition(Exposición de arte popular japonés,April1950)indowntownBarcelona.

Manyof thedocumentarymaterials fromthe firstmingei exhibitionhavebeenpreserved,includingnumerousphotographstakenbyJoaquimGomisandthecataloguepublishedfortheoccasion,whichenablesustoreconstructtheshowwiththeoriginalpiecesfromtheSerraandGomiscollections.Thecataloguelisted190pieces,includingtenŌtsu-e, eighteen textiles (furoshiki,yukata,koi-nobori,happy…),andancientandmodernceramicsfromanonymouskilnsandbymodernceramistssuchasKawai

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Kanjirō, togetherwithfolktoys, illustratedbooks, lacquerwareandothersmallobjects(fans, combs,votivepaintings, children'sdrawings…).Theexhibitionwasreportedbythepresswhichnotedthatoneoftheaspectsthatmostsurprisedvisitorswasthepopularcharacterofthoseeverydaypieces:humblegoodswith inherentbeauty, thebeautifultruthfulnessofdomestichandmadecraftschampionedbyYanagi.Infact,thisintuitivebeautynaturallybornof commonpeoplewasoneoftheelementsthatmostattractedJoanMiró, to the pointwhere severalnewspapersobservedthat theaestheticsofsomeoftheexhibitedpiecesweresimilartoMiró’screations(Fig.2).

Miróvisited theexhibitionon thedayoftheopening, togetherwithEudaldSerraandJoaquimGomis.There,hewasstruckbytheceramicsandkokeshi,andwecanassumethat,asapainter,hewasparticularlyinterestedinŌtsu-e,thoseanonymouspaintingsmadewithjustafewbrushstrokesandprimarycolours, likeMiró’sownpaintings.Althoughit isobviousthat theaestheticsofMiróandŌtsu-earecompletelydifferent,wecanneverthelessnoteseveralcommonfeaturesfromtheuniversallanguageofpopularculture.Significantly,theonlyclose-upshotsofMiróat theexhibitionshowhimnexttooldŌtsu-epaintingsand,coincidingwiththeopeningoftheexhibition,Serrapublishedanessaydevotedtothosepopularpaintings,oneoftheveryfewtextsheeverpublished

(2).

Thehistoryof theimpactof themingeimovement inCataloniaalsorepresentsarichchapterintheartofmodernceramics,onethatcentresontheArtigasfamily,JosepLlorensArtigasandhissonJoanGardyArtigas,andtheircollaborativeartisticprojectswithSerraandMiró.JosepLlorensArtigastrainedwithMiróatthesameArtAcademy,andbegan tostandoutasaceramistduring the1920s.Hisceramicswerestronglyinfluencedby theEastern traditionsincehewaskeenly interested inChineseandJapaneseceramicsthroughouthis life.Towardstheendoftheforties,LlorensArtigasdiscoveredtheexistenceofthemingei movementthroughEudaldSerra.In1952,hemetYanagiSōetsuatDarlingtonHall(Fig.3),andtenyearslaterhemetHamadaShōjiinJapan.Overtheyears,moreover,Artigasfatherandsonbecamegreatadmirersofthepioneersandfoundersofthemingeimovement.Atthispoint,ifwefocusontheimpact

Fig. 2. Eudald Serra and Joan Miró at the entrance to the first mingei exhibition in Barcelona. Both artists appear in front of the poster reproducing a modern Ōtsu-e by Nichinen, owned by Serra and Gomis. 1950. Gomis private archive, Barcelona.

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that themingei movementhadon theworkofCatalanartists,thefirstevidenceoftheinfluenceofthoseJapanesemodelswasinitiallyborninaprojectdevelopedtogetherbyArtigasandSerra.Thiswasin1953,whenEudaldSerraandJosepLlorensArtigas haddecided towork closelytogether toproduce severalhundredceramicswiththeaimofputtingintopractice,astheysaid,theYanagi’sideasonbeautyandfunctionaldaily-lifeceramics:“inthisinitiative,theyrediscovereda lost traditionandconfernewaestheticdignityonobjectsofeverydayuse,redeemingthemfromtheburdenofmassproduction”,wrote theartcritic JordiBenetAurell

(3).Asa result,between

1953 and 1955, Serra andArtigas organizedthree successful exhibitions to present theircollaborativepieces,all themsignedAR-SE,forArtigasandSerra.Thesewereenamelledpotteriesforeverydayuse,madein thespiritandformalcharacteristicsverysimilar toJapaneseceramictraditions(Fig.4),presentedalongwithikebana,Japanese fabricsand Japanese tansu furniturefromSerra’scollection.

ArtigasworkedalsowithMiró.ThetwometinBarcelonain1912andlaterfollowedparallelpaths, the formerasapainterand the latterasapainteruntil 1944-1945,whenboth friendsdecidedtobegintheirclosecollaboration.Theirfirstceramicsdatefromtheforties,butmostofthemweremade from1953on, afterArtigasestablishedapotteryworkshopsintheoutskirtsofGallifa,inan18th-centuryhouseinthemountainsnotfarfromBarcelona.There,MiróandArtigas

Fig. 3. Josep Llorens Artigas and Yanagi Sōetsu at the International Conference of Craftsmen in Pottery and Textiles held in 1952 in Darlington Hall, England. Fundació Artigas, Gallifa.

Fig. 4. AR-SE bowl (shape by Eudald Serra and enamels by Josep Llorens Artigas) produced in Gallifa in 1953. Private collection, Barcelona.

producedworksrangingfromsmallervases to largemurals,suchas thoseatUnescoheadquartersinParisandthe50metre-longmuralatBarcelonaAirport.

WhenMiróandArtigasstartedcollaborating,Artigas’son,JoanGardyArtigas,beganhistrainingasaceramist,bothwithhisfatherandwithMiró,andlaterinParis.

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Whilestillyoung,healsobegantodevelophisownfascinationforEasternceramicsandthemingei aestheticinparticular,tothepointthatin1961heappliedforascholarshiptostudywithHamadainJapan.Asaresult,in1962,GardyArtigastravelledtoJapan,tocontinuehistrainingandpracticeatHamada’spotteryworkshop,establishedinMashikoin1924.Needlesstosay,theJapaneseexperiencewaspivotalforJoanGardyArtigas,notonlyprofessionally,asaceramist,butalsopersonally,sinceduringhisstayinJapanhemarriedIshikawaMasako(Mako-san).Thephotographsof thewedding,held inTokyoin1962,showclearlyhowthemingeimovementhadtakenroot intheArtigasfamily:HamadaShōjiandBernardLeachactedaswitnessesat theceremonyandalltheceramicsat thebanquetweremadebyHamadahimself.Referenceto thesemoreprivateaspectsofArtiga’slifeisimportantsincehelpsustounderstandtowhatextenttheadoptionofcertainpracticesfromthemingei movementwerequicklyacceptedandsharedbyCatalanceramistssuchasArtigasandSerra.Indeed,asinthecaseofSerra,ArtigasandHamadaalsogotonwellinJapan,formingaclosefriendshiptothepointthatbothceramistswroteessaysofmutualadmirationinthepress.ThoseyearswereoneswhenArtigaswasworkingonMiró’sfirstlargemurals,suchastheMurals of the Sun and the Moon (1957), theMural of the Harvard Graduate Center (1960)andtheMural of the Handels Hochschule of Saint Gall(1964).Inotherwords,weshouldtakeintoconsiderationthat,atthattime,requestsandcommissionsfornewworksbyMiróandArtigaswereincreasingand,inviewofthis,Artigasneededalargerkiln.Insomeway,wecansaythateverythinghappenedattherightmoment,becauseArtigaswantedaJapanesekiln.Asaresult,onlyoneyearafterthemeetinginTokyo,HamadatravelledtoGallifa,whereaJapanese-stylewood-firedclimbingkiln(noborigama)wasbuiltusingHamada’skilninMashikoasthemodel.Fromthenon,mostoftheceramicsbyMiróandArtigaswereproducedintheso-calledMashikokilndesignedbyHamadaandbuiltinGallifa.

After theadditionofMako-santothefamilyin1962, theArtigas’admirationforJapaneseculturebecameevident in thehouse.Duringthefollowingyears, theybuiltseveralnoborigamaandanagamakilnsinGallifaneartheoldhousevisitednotonlybyMiróandSerra,butalsobyHamadaandBernardLeach.Thehouse,withart ineverycorner,embracedthefusionofCatalanandtheJapaneseculturesquitenaturally.Olddoorsweresubstitutedbyotheroldshōjislidingdoors;inthefireplaceakatazomemingei potterymapofJapanbySerizawaKeisukewaspermanentlyhung,whileeveryMaythemountainous landscapewasaccompaniedwithkoinobori.Furthermore, thefamilycreatedanotherprivate, emotivemingei collection formedbyhundredsofceramics,furniture,folktoys,lacquerware,strawhats,scrolls,katagamiandsoon.

Manyof the referencesalreadymentionedsofardateback to thesameperiod.

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Fromthispointofview, it isnoteasy tosynthesize theprocessof introductionanddisseminationofthemingeimovementwithouttakingintoaccounttheparallelactivityofmanyof itsprotagonists.Theclearestexampleof this is thefact that,parallel tothetripsofArtigastoJapanandHamadatoCatalonia,EudaldSerra,whowasaclosefriendofArtigasandHamada,undertookotherambitiousprojectstopromoteculturalandartistic interchangeswithJapan.Amongthem,themostoutstandingwashis longcollaborationwith theEthnologicalMuseumofBarcelona tocreateamajorpubliccollectionofJapanesemingei.

Itwasin1948when,havingrecentlyreturnedfromJapan,andbeforetheopeningoftheEthnologicalMuseuminBarcelona(1949),EudaldSerracontacteditsdirector,AugustPanyella.Although the initialproposal to stageamingei exhibitionat theMuseumin1950didnotprosper,a fewyears laterSerraandPanyellamanaged topersuade theCityCouncil to financeseveralexpeditions to Japanwith theaimofcreatinga Japanese folkcrafts collectionwithequivalent categoriesand typesofpieces to theones in thesuperbNihon Mingeikancollection.EudaldSerra returnedtoJapanmanytimesover theyearsand,from1957to1968,wasresponsibleoffourexpeditionstoJapan(1957,1961,1964and1968)thankstowhich2,462pieceswerecollected.Asa result, in thesixties, theEthnologicalMuseumwasenrichedbyanextensivemingei collection includingOkinawanbingata,Ōtsu-e,votivepaintings,sculptures,reliefs, furniture,papers,prints, takuhonhandscrolls, traditionalfolk toysandallkindsofoldandmoderneverydayhandcrafts.Equally,SerraboughtmodernpiecesrecentlyproducednotonlybyanonymouspeoplebutalsobyNationalLivingTreasures, includingAbeEishiro,someof themkeyfiguresinthemingei movement,suchashiscolleagueSerizawaKeisuke(Fig.5),whovisitedSerrainBarcelonainApril1966.Finally,Serra’spassionforceramicsencouragedhimtotravelalloverthecountryto build up a spectacular collectioncontainingavast rangeofpieces fromall regions, styles and forms, fromanonymousprehistoricandEdoperiodworks to contemporary pieces byHamada,ArakawaToyozō, FujiwaraKei,KaneshigeTōyō,Miwa Jusetsuandmanyothers.All theseacquisitionsgreatlyenrichedtheformerlyratherpoorJapanesepubliccollectionsinCataloniaandenabledBarcelonaCityCouncil toorganize threenewmingei exhibitionsfrom1959to1969.

Fig. 5. Katazome stencil designs by Serizawa Keisuke at the Ethnological Museum of Barcelona. Designs on paper bought by the Museum to Eudald Serra in 1958.Ethnological Museum of Barcelona.

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Havingpresentedalltheseinitiativesandrelationships,allthesenamesandprojectsthatwehaveseenseparatelycanbe taken together toenableus to fullyunderstandthe impactof themingeimovement inCatalonia.Thiscanbe illustratedbyseveralrepresentativeexamples,as is thecaseofnumerousMiró-ArtigaspiecescomparedtoworksbyHamada(Fig.6): thevaseswood-firedbyArtigasandMiróinGallifain1962,theyearwhenArtigasandHamadametinJapan,canbecomparedwithsomeoftheHamadaceramicsboughtbySerrainMashikoin1964thankstothethirdmingeiexpeditionpromotedbytheEthnologicalMuseum,oneyearafterHamada’sfirstvisittoGallifa. Inaveryclearway,both thecoloursof theenamelsbyArtigasand theirapplicationto thesurfacesof thevases,randomlydecoratedwithseveral texturesbyMiró, follow thesameaestheticofHamada'sworks,Mashikopottery’sandmingei aesthetics, justastheAR-SEceramicsdid.Afewyearslater,ontheoccasionofJoanMiró's firstvisit to Japan in1966, theartistvisited theNihon Mingeikan.There,accompaniedbyArtigas,headmirednotonlyceramicsbutalsoŌtsu-efolkpaintings.WithoutgoingfurthernowintothefieldofthegreatimpactthatJapanhadonMiró,itisnotsurprisingthat,asaresultofhistwovisitstoJapan,in1966and1969,andduetohisfriendshipwithSerra,Gomis,ArtigasandseveralJapaneseartistsandpoets,MiróalsobuiltupasmallcollectionofJapanesefolkart, includingtheSpanisheditionofthefamousbookFolk-crafts in Japan,publishedbyYanagiSōetsuin1939,andotherstudiesonhaniwa, togetherwithprints, takuhon,shodōhangingscrolls,ceramicsandfolktoys,someofthemgiventohimbySerraandGomis.

Inmostcases,wehavebeen talkingaboutworksand initiativesdatingback tobetween1950and1970,halfacenturyago.However,weshouldconcludebystressing

Fig. 6. On the left, Hamada Shōji’s enamelled plate bought by Eudald Serra in Mashiko during the third expedition of the Ethnological Museum in Japan, in 1964. On the right, Artigas-Miró stoneware vase dated 1962. Ethonolgical Museum of Barcelona / Private collection, Barcelona.

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thatthisstoryisstillalive.JoanGardyArtigas,withwhomMiróworkedbetween1970and1980,continueseventodaytousethenoborigama andanagama kilns inGallifatocreatecontemporarypiecesthatrevealapermanentfascinationforJapaneseartandceramictraditions

(4).GardyArtigaskeepsaliveafascinatingstoryoffriendshipandartistic

contactsthatallowedboththetraditionalandpopularartoftheEdoperiodaswellastheworkoftherevitalizersoftraditionalandanonymouscraftsduringtwentiethcenturytobeadmired,understoodandsharedinCatalonia,too.Indeed,overthedecades,manyofthekeyfigures inthe mingeimovement,suchasYanagiSōetsu,HamadaShōji,KawaiKanjirō,BernardLeach,MunakataShikō,SerizawaKeisukeandKomenamiShōichi,came incontactwith theirCatalancounterparts,EudaldSerra,CelsGomis, JosepLlorensArtigas,JoanGardyArtigasandJoanMiró.Asaresultof thesecontacts, theartisticrelationsbetweenthetwoculturesbecameeverstrongerduringthesecondhalfofthe20thcentury.

Notes(1)　 Iwould like toexpressmymostsinceregratitude to theArtigas,GomisandSerra’s

families,whonotonlysharedpersonalandprivatememoriesbutalsogavemeaccess totheirprivatearchivesandcollections.

(2)　 SerrawasfascinatedbymingaandŌtsu-einparticular,ascanbeseeninotherprojectsthathepromoted, suchasanexhibitionofcontemporaryJapaneseprintsorganized inBarcelonain1959andfeaturingworksbyMunakataShikō,theleadingmingeiwoodblockprinter inJapan.SerraandMunakatamet inJapaninthefortiesand, inBarcelona,SerraenabledCatalanaudiencestodiscoverthewayinwhichMunakatahadbecomeamodernizerofŌtsu-eimagery.

(3)　 J.BenetAurell, “J. LlorensArtigas –E. SerraGüell”,Revista. Semanario de información, artes y letras,n.88,17-13December1953,p.9.

(4)　 InFebruary2019,GardyArtigaswillvisitShigarakikilnsagaintofurtherstrengthenthefamily’stieswiththeJapaneseceramictradition.

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（日本語要旨）

日本の民藝運動と カタルーニャの藝術家たち

リカル・ブル

　民藝運動とは、民藝品の観賞や理解を集積し、学び、発信することを目的にして、柳宗悦・濱田庄司・河井寛次郎が日本民藝協会を創設した 1926 年より始まった運動である。協会は設立の 5年後には月刊誌「工藝」を刊行し、1936 年には日本民藝館と呼ばれる民藝品専門の美術館を設立した。それまでは博物館に展示されることはなく、歴史的価値があるとも思われず、民衆にも特段認知されないできた、機能的でごくありふれた日用品だったものに対して、その味わいと崇高さを醸し出す美しさのとりこになった人々が、この十数年間の運動によって数多く現れるようになったのだ。これまで民藝運動についての研究は多くなされてきたが、その殆どは、運動がはじまった要因や当時の状況、運動が与えた影響に焦点を当てて、日本人の美的感性や意識について研究されたものであった。しかし、この運動が外国人に与えた影響については、おそらく十分には研究されてこなかったであろう。日本に居住していた、あるいは、訪問していたうちの、大多数の欧米人や米国人が、柳宗悦の美的感覚・哲学・思考に大いに魅了されていたのである。2人のカタルーニャ人、エウダル・セラとセルス・ゴミスが 1930 年から 1940 年にかけてそれぞれ日本を旅していたのは、実にこの時代だったのである。そしてそのたった数年後には、彼らが日本の民藝運動の理論や美的感覚をカタルーニャ地方へ広めたのであった。　この研究論文では、セラとゴミスが日本に滞在していた 1935 年から 1948 年にかけて、どのように民藝運動の一面に触れることとなったのかについて焦点を当て、論証していくことにしたい。また、彼らが 20 世紀中期のカタルーニャ地方で民藝運動を広めるために、どのような構想を練っていたかということについても、この研究によって明らかにする。彼らの取り組みの中でも特筆されるのは民藝品の展示会であり、1950 年の第 1回の開催では自分達が日本で収集した品々を展示した。2回目以降の展示会では、セラが中心となって 1957 年から 1968 年にかけて日本を調査訪問した際に収集された、バルセロナ民族博物館所蔵の品々が出展された。しかし、セラとゴミスがカタルーニャへ帰国してから、ジュゼップ・リョレンス・アルティーガスやジョアン・ミロといった、いち早く民藝品の魅力に強くひきつけられていた藝術家達と親交を深めていたことなど、本論考ではこうした複雑な人物相関についても言及していく。その大

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部分については、今から半世紀前の 1950 年から 1970 年における業績や取り組みから明らかにすることができるだろう。とはいえそれらは、1970 年から 1980年までの間、ただ一人ミロと作業を共にしたという陶藝家ジュアン・ガルディ・アルティーガスのおかげで、現在でも言い伝えられている。事実として、柳宗悦、濱田庄司、河井寛次郎、バーナード・リーチ、棟方志功、芹沢銈介、米浪庄弌ら民藝運動に携わった主要な人物達は、カタルーニャのセラ、ゴミス、リョレンス・アルティーガス、ガルディ・アルティーガス、ミロ達と数十年間にわたる交流を深めていた。こうした交際を経て、両文化間における藝術の関係性が深まっていったのである。

　本記事は、昨年 10 月 2 日にパリで開催された第 3回明治神宮秋のセミナー（於、フランス国立東洋言語文化研究所）の講演内容を基に要約・収録したものである。同セミナーは、明治神宮の日本研究支援の一環として毎年実施するもの。