Art Class & Realism Police at the Hoki Museum

I took a little trip out to the Hoki Museum in Chiba. It is the only museum in Japan dedicated exclusively to realistic painting.
According to my art teacher, the museum houses many works by their acquaintances. To summarize their explanation, Musashino Art University is strong in authentic realism, while Tama Art University is strong in design. Since the teacher is from Musashino, they know several artists who have works at the Hoki Museum, such as Hiroki Yamamoto, Ryo Shiotani, and Osamu Obi.

Inside the Hoki Museum

Photography is prohibited inside the museum.
You should definitely go and be overwhelmed by the aura of the real thing.
Right after entering, you are met with a flood of hyper-detailed realistic paintings. Since you end up spending so much time looking at each piece, even three hours felt like a rush at the end.
Come to think of it, you can get through a Taro Okamoto exhibition in about an hour because it's not really about looking closely at details... Taro gets unfairly criticized for that.

At first, we were impressed by the transcendent realistic paintings, but everyone's eyes quickly became more discerning.
"They could have put a bit more effort into the details."
Before we knew it, we had become the realism police.
Even though we started out saying "Amazing!" at everything, we gradually began to police the works, saying things like "This part is weak" or "They could have done better" lol.
When it comes to realistic painting, if there is even one work with an outstanding level of quality, it becomes the benchmark, and the viewer's demands just keep rising.

Watching my companions, I could even tell when the "police sirens" were about to go off for a certain painting.
Like, "No, please let that one slide this time, that artist is an acquaintance of our teacher..."

But in the end, I think what supports realistic painting is the emotional impact of such detailed handiwork.
If art can move people, it's a guaranteed win. Therefore,
"Since photography exists, is there any meaning to realistic painting?"
That question probably doesn't have much meaning in itself.
If there are people who are moved by it or enjoy viewing it, I think that is enough.

Realistic painting is not a copy of reality, but rather a world recreated through the eyes of the painter.
There is always a sense of fluctuation that passes through human eyes and hands, whether intentional or unconscious.
That is why it is not the same as a photograph; traces of human perception remain.

Where to look, what to emphasize. The painter's way of perceiving the world appears even in those choices.

It was a very interesting viewing experience in that I could enjoy the works on their own merits rather than evaluating them based on historical background or art historical context (though of course, I think some works had mechanisms that required analytical skills).
The Hoki Museum is a place where you can enjoy discussing the details with others. I highly recommend it.

Outside the Hoki Museum

Another feature of this museum is the structure of the building.
Gallery 1 is a cantilevered structure that juts out about 30 meters into the air.
It is not supported by pillars, but is a space that extends dramatically from the building.
In the long, narrow gallery inside, you view the works arranged in a long row one by one.
When a few of us stood at the tip, it felt like the other side of the building was floating a bit. Wouldn't it be better if there were some people over there too?

We went outside and took turns posing in front of the cantilever.
It was the perfect magic hour with the sunset streaming in.
I just stood there like a stick, not very clever. I should have at least done a contrapposto.
If you don't have enough experience, you end up with a "clumsy-posto" in moments like this.

Art Class

The next day at art class, I shared my impressions with the teacher.
There was one piece I was a bit curious about; it felt more fantastical than a depiction of the real world.
Does this kind of thing also fall into the category?

"Ah, this is the one Yamamoto-kun painted when he was a graduate student. Each individual element is something that exists in reality, and he combined them to paint it."
Indeed, he isn't painting fictional motifs.
I also wanted to mention the detail in the background of the portrait,
"The level of detail in this painting is also amazing. Even when you zoom in, it looks like a photograph."
"This one. Everyone loves the way the boards are rendered. Everyone wants to draw the wood grain in incredible detail."
Wow lol

"And the way this wall is painted is..."
It was so technical that I forgot what was said.

The Venus statue is finally finished this time, and from next time, it will be leather shoes.
Facing my own "mostly Venus painting," I break into a cold sweat remembering how I was acting like the realism police yesterday.
"Teacher's friends really are amazing, aren't they."
Suddenly groveling and changing my tune.

The end