Japan Spirit and Form #4: Ink Painting

Japan: Spirit and Form #4: Japanese Ink Painting: Landscapes of the Mind. This is the first episode in the series to devote most of its running time to images of art. We see ink paintings from China and Japan while the narrator, with some assistance from art critic Shuichi Kato, explains the origins of ink painting in China in the 7th century and how its techniques were adopted by Japanese artists in the 13th century, but with unique, more personal flourishes of their own. Zen Buddhism played a great role in the development of ink painting in both countries. Kato takes us to Germany where we see impressionist works by Kandinsky and Jawlensky that were directly influenced by Japanese ink paintings, which were first displayed in Germany in 1909 at the time these men were experimenting with new styles. Narration in English by Ashley Thom. Music by Akira Mitake.