An Artist of the Floating World

Kazuo Ishiguro, in full Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, (born November 8, 1954, Nagasaki, Japan), Japanese-born British novelist known for his lyrical tales of regret fused with subtle optimism. In 2017 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his works that “uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world.”

About novel 

An Artist of the Floating World (1986) is a novel by British author Kazuo Ishiguro. It is set in post-World War II Japan and is narrated by Masuji Ono, an ageing painter, who looks back on his life and how he has lived it.

Movie An Artist of Floating world 

Yoshiji Ono, a prominent painter, struggles to adjust to his new environment after the Second World War, which then forces him to confront his past role as a propaganda artist.

 Movie is directed by Kazuki Watanabe. 

Thinking Activity 

1.Lantern appears 34 times in the novel. Even on the cover page, the image of lantern is displayed. What is the significance of lantern in the novel?

The lantern appears 34 times in the novel and the significance of Lanterns in the novel are associated with Ono’s teacher Mori-san who includes a lantern in each of his paintings and dedicates himself to trying to capture the look of lantern light. For Mori-san, the flickering, easily extinguished quality of lantern light symbolizes the transience of beauty and the importance of giving careful attention to small moments and details in the physical world. Lanterns, then, symbolize an outlook on life which prizes small details and everyday moments above the ideological concerns of nationalists or commercial concerns of businesspeople. It is an old-fashioned, aesthetically focused, and more traditional way of viewing the world.

2.Write in brief a review of the film based on the novel.

An Artist of the Floating World movie was directed by Kazuki Watanabe on March 30, 2019. An originally the is written by Kazuo Ishiguro. Movie is truthful to novel. But some changes are seen  in movie.Reading novel looks more better than watching the moive. But due to scarcity of time of time watching movie is the best option one can choose. 

3.Debate on the use of Art / Artist (five Perspectives: 1) Art for the sake of art aesthetic delight, 2) Art for earning Money - Buisness Purpose, 3) Art for nationalism/ imperialism,  Art for the propaganda of Government Power, 4) Art for the poor Marxism and 5) No Need of art and artist (Masuji's father's approach).

Art for the sake of art aesthetic delight

Seiji Moriyama a rich and talented artist who takes on young pupils, including Ono and the Tortoise, inviting them to live in his villa and study his aesthetic. Mori-san lives in a large decrepit villa in the countryside. He believes that the most delicate beauty in the world exists in transient moments at late-night bars among geishas in the pleasure district, and is dedicating his life to trying to capture this beauty in his art. He uses European techniques in his painting, eschewing the use of dark outlines in favor of shading. When students try to take a different direction in their painting, Mori-san demands that they leave the villa.  This perspective is reliable for Art for the sake of art aesthetic delight.

Art for earning Money - Buisness Purpose

Master Takeda is the owner of a studio (Takeda firm) of artists who churn out traditional Japanese paintings for mostly foreign buyers. He hires Masuji Ono as a young painter and holds all his artists to tight deadlines and difficult quotas.This perspective is reliable for Art for earning Money - Buisness Purpose.

Art for the propaganda of Government Power

Under the influence of the nationalist Matsuda, Ono decides to change his style of painting to promote Japanese imperialism.Ono feels that, even if his work pursued a mistaken ideology of nationalism, his good faith effort to do what he believes in and make an important contribution means that he can be proud of his life’s work.His propaganda posters became well-known, and his fame assured him that he had made the right choices in his career.  This perspective is reliable for Art for the propaganda of Government Power.

Art for the poor Marxism 

Matsuda challenges Ono to tell him who Karl Marx is, and though Ono pretends to know, his answer (that Marx was a leader of the Russian Revolution) is incorrect. Matsuda tells Ono that small charity projects for local communities won't do the job—what's needed to fix Japan, which is run by greedy businessmen and politicians, is for artists to engage with bigger ideas. Ono replies that artists can and should do nothing but strive to capture fleeting beauty; Matsuda says in turn that artists can be a part of a wider movement to return Japan to tradition, stability, and the rule of the emperor. Japan, Matsuda says, needs to assume its rightful position in the world, forming an empire like the British have. Moriyama didn't support Ono's career and he leaves the villa.This perspective is reliable for Art for the poor Marxism .

No Need of art and artist 

Ono grew up with a father who did not support his becoming an artist.He even burns the painting of Masuji Ono. 

4.What is the relevance of this novel to our times?

Intergenerational Conflict portrays a society that instills the importance of respect and obedience towards elders in the young, but is, nevertheless, defined by intergenerational conflict and distrust. This conflict becomes particularly fierce after the war, as the younger generation heaps blame on the older generation for leading the country down a disastrous path. There is intergenerational conflict in a variety of  contexts between parents and children, teachers and students, and political elites. This theme  of of An Artist of the Floating World  is relevant in present times .