Im ersten Teil behandelt Sedlmayr die >>SymptomeGesamtaufgaben>der Befreiung zum Ende der Kunstals Ganzes gesehen; gerade auch im Chaotischen; den Charakter eines >geschlossenen< Zeitalters
#601636 in eBooks 2012-10-01 2012-10-01File Name: B00BFUP0H2
Review
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. Terrific BookBy P. SternI thought this was a wonderfully stimulating book. Rather than merely rehashing the history of the mingei movement; Brandt shows how mingei as a collection of ideas -- a cultural language; if you will -- was adopted by different groups in Japan and applied to diverse situations both inside the country and elsewhere in Japans pre-war empire.It is difficult to summarize this subtle book; but for me the most successful chapter was "Mingei and the Wartime State." I had read Yanagi Soetsus "The Unknown Craftsman;" and had wondered how that authors aphoristic and somewhat woolly thoughts on aesthetics might be made to serve the ends of ultra-nationalism. Brandts treatment of this subject was fascinating; and seemed; to me at least; highly persuasive. Brandt is basically respectful of the stated aims of the mingei movement and its adherents; but she does not pull punches in her conclusions about the actions of Japans fascist state; especially in China.Two small criticisms. First; given that Yanagi plays such a large role in the book; it would have been nice to have a bit more information about his background and education. I realize she wasnt trying to write a potted biography of Yanagi; but we never really get a sense of what makes him tick as a person. Second; I was a bit surprised that Brandt paid relatively little attention to ethnicity as a driving force in the articulation of mingei. This is not a simple topic; but I wonder whether she has perhaps discounted the importance of "Japaneseness" as part of mingei in her effort to focus on other consumer and cultural trends.Highly recommended!