Becoming the masks of Bidou Yamaguchi

Vermeer Transfigured

Armed with a long fascination with all things Japanese, I decided to stop by the library gallery at Sacramento State to see the exhibition of Bidou Yamaguchi's modern Noh masks.  These masks, perhaps more akin to sculpture than anything, are a unique blend of new and old, dark and whimsical, east and west.  The majority of the masks are Yamaguchi's interpretations of female faces from famous western paintings. They are incredible in their likenesses, and among the cameos made are the Mona Lisa and The Girl with the Pearl Earring.

But as I walk the gallery,  there is something eerie and dreamlike about the work; Something intangible but familiar has sprung into reality, like a character from a well-read book emerging from its pages.  Masks are  pre-loaded with metaphor, but these might take the cake.  To better appreciate what is happening here, I do a bit of research on the art of Noh.

Noh  (which I had "Noh" knowledge of before this exhibit (apologies)) is a specifically Japanese theatre art that can be dated back to the mid 1300's.  It's most important elements include: the wearer "becoming the mask," a three part story, and the subtle reinterpretation of the traditional in the contemporary context.  The masks usually play a central role and are one of the key factors that make Noh mysterious and unique. Each mask can convey a variety of emotions based on the tilt of the head and how the lighting is utilized. By standardizing these techniques, a skilled Noh actor can convey complex emotional information with a single mask.

Same mask at three different angles to show the range of expressions

Bidou Yamaguchi is a master carver of Utsushi, or replicas of masterpiece Noh masks.  Some of these heirloom masks, from which Utsushi are modeled, are 500 years old.  Recreating the subtle feeling of a particular mask is the main job of a master carver. Yamaguchi has taken this formal training and applied it to some fascinating new source material: famous female portraits of western art and the portraits of Kabuki actors from the early twentieth century. By changing the subjects of these masks, Yamaguchi is breaking a very long tradition.  His goal in these works is to use his skills to create new works rather than Utsushi. He voices his feelings in an interview with MPR.org (Minnesota Public Radio) in 2011:

"The Noh mask makers, what we do today, we’re copying originals from other periods. Every one would say the best mask is the original, and each maker will say they can never achieve the brilliance of the original artist...Tradition should not be just a matter of copying the past, but to add something before passing it on to the next generation. It’s up to the next generation to decide whether they want to keep it or not."

 Yamaguchi's feelings on maintaining traditions are surely echoed around the world. So often in our culture, we find that when something beautiful has been achieved, it must now be maintained.  We cease to recognize that change was the very origin of whatever this beauty was. It becomes beyond us, beyond reproach, a static interpretation of culture. These are difficult circumstances to transcend. It is much easier, I'd venture, in the context of the US, where change in ideas is a common occurrence and even venerated modality.

 As I finish my survey of the gallery, I stop to try on a Noh mask available to visitors. It fits strangely on my face, but the effect is rather delightful.  I feel it's mysterious power, and I decide viewing a Noh performance is definitely on the agenda. Quick research leads me to Theatre Yugen at Nohspace in Potrero Hill (San Francisco's "new arts capital..."). Theatre Yugen puts on a variety of performances of Asian theatre, including Noh.  Check out what's coming up on their website at www.theatreofyugen.org

These masks, contemporary expressions of an ancient art, have helped bring Noh onto the world stage. I laud Yamaguchi's willingness to reinterpret tradition for the sake of breathing new life into Noh. These masks start an important and necessary dialogue about how to keep traditions alive. The best way to do that is to encourage contemporary artists to reinterpret traditions so that they stay relevant in our culture. Without this contemporary stewardship, fascinating and beautiful traditions like Noh are likely to fade away.

 Additionally, Bidou Yamaguchi will be giving a lecture at Sacramento State on April 14th at 2pm.