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Lot Essay
In Hanauma Bay Series/Catfish Zen Monk (Lot 461), painted in 1984 Masami Teraoka re-tells a Japanese myth about the role of catfish ('Namazu') in causing and predicting natural disasters, like earthquakes. Concealed in the upper-left corner of the work is a Japanese cartouche in the shape of a folding fan, inscribed with the word Kirai ("hate")—the catfish hates war. The artist is in fact referencing his own abhorrence of war, in this case, of the conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina over the Falklands Islands. If one looks closely at this vignette, they would notice several chidori—a symbol of longevity and auspiciousness in Japan—hovering over a torpedo afloat at sea. The event in question takes place in Hanauma Bay, a popular snorkelling destination in the Hawaii Kai neighbourhood. Teraoka insinuates that the crisis—historically-known as the 'Falklands Conflict'—could engulf this iconic sanctuary, bringing with it unimaginable casualties.
In 1982 Argentina was beleaguered by devastating economic stagnation. Acting president Leopoldo Galtieri attempted to divert public attention from the country's longstanding economic ills by declaring military action on the Falkland Islands. The British government retaliated by engaging the Argentine Navy and Air Force, and reclaimed its control of the Falkland Islands after two months of conflict. (Fig. 21) The crisis raised concerns among citizens in the southern region of the United States, that the conflict would consume them as well.
Teraoka excels in regaling the spectators with a tongue-incheek artistic narrative, sounding an alarm about looming global disaster. A curious 'creature' with a catfish face attached to a human body warns the Japanese snorkeler to be watchful of the water mines afloat in the oceans. The monk-like creature in a Japanese kimono, with a goatee and wire-rimmed glasses, represents the artist himself. Dripping in water and out of breath, the creature has apparently travelled a long way to convey the bad news to this hapless tourist. The artist is warning us that scenic and natural monuments, like Hanauma Bay, could be destroyed if the presence of water mines in the world's oceans continue to proliferate through war. The catfish is a frequent theme in Teraoka's oeuvre. This fish species is known as a clairvoyant in Japanese mythology, with the gift of seeing the future. The image of the catfish in the piece is inspired by the works of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e paintings in the Edo period. Meanwhile, the silhouette of the restless sea and the exaggerated expression of the snorkeler are also in keeping with ukiyo-e tradition. In contrast, the appearance of the creature indicates a connection with contemporary cartoon culture while also recalling the surrealistically-rendered marine creature in Rene Magritte's Collective Invention. (Fig. 22)
In 1982 Argentina was beleaguered by devastating economic stagnation. Acting president Leopoldo Galtieri attempted to divert public attention from the country's longstanding economic ills by declaring military action on the Falkland Islands. The British government retaliated by engaging the Argentine Navy and Air Force, and reclaimed its control of the Falkland Islands after two months of conflict. (Fig. 21) The crisis raised concerns among citizens in the southern region of the United States, that the conflict would consume them as well.
Teraoka excels in regaling the spectators with a tongue-incheek artistic narrative, sounding an alarm about looming global disaster. A curious 'creature' with a catfish face attached to a human body warns the Japanese snorkeler to be watchful of the water mines afloat in the oceans. The monk-like creature in a Japanese kimono, with a goatee and wire-rimmed glasses, represents the artist himself. Dripping in water and out of breath, the creature has apparently travelled a long way to convey the bad news to this hapless tourist. The artist is warning us that scenic and natural monuments, like Hanauma Bay, could be destroyed if the presence of water mines in the world's oceans continue to proliferate through war. The catfish is a frequent theme in Teraoka's oeuvre. This fish species is known as a clairvoyant in Japanese mythology, with the gift of seeing the future. The image of the catfish in the piece is inspired by the works of Utagawa Kuniyoshi, one of the great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e paintings in the Edo period. Meanwhile, the silhouette of the restless sea and the exaggerated expression of the snorkeler are also in keeping with ukiyo-e tradition. In contrast, the appearance of the creature indicates a connection with contemporary cartoon culture while also recalling the surrealistically-rendered marine creature in Rene Magritte's Collective Invention. (Fig. 22)