GEKKO

Artist – OGATA Gekkō (尾形月耕, 1859–1920) was a Japanese artist best known as a painter and a designer of ukiyo-e woodblock prints. He was born NAKAGAMI Masanosuke (名鏡正之助) in Kyōbashi Yazaemon-chō in Edo (modern Tokyo) on September 10th in 1859. His Family ran an employment agency for the rich for some generations, and they were also licensed to dispose off Edo's garbage. His father was the tradesman NAKAGAMI Seijirō (名鏡清次郎), that died in 1876, and the 17 year old Gekkō took to work in a lantern shop in Kyōbashi Yumi-chō. As an orphan he was adopted from the Ogata family that was loosely known to his former family.

On recommendation of his father, Gekkō taught himself in art. He began decorating porcelain and rickshaws for a living, and designed flyers for the nearby brothel quarters. His early style shows the influence of the painter Kikuchi Yōsai. About 1881, in conjunction with his adoption, he took the surname Ogata at the insistence of a descendant of the painter Ogata Kōrin. He soon was designing prints and illustrating books and newspapers. In 1885 Gekkō exhibited in the Painting Appreciation Society.

The First Sino-Japanese (1894/1895) war was the subject of a number of triptychs he designed during that time. While many of these war prints were merely aimed at illustrating the events and were created by artists who are not known for any other works, the war prints created by Gekko have an artistic value of their own. Gekko even accompanied the troops as a war correspondent for a Japanese newspaper. Back at home he transformed his numerous sketches into prints.

From the 1890s Gekkō won a number of art prizes, both national and international. He was one of the earliest Japanese artists to win international attention. He was a judge in the Japan Youth Painting Association, in which he was involved and helped founding in 1891.

Although OGATA Gekkō's graphics make a modern impression, the artist supposed himself as part of the traditional art of Japanese woodblock. His origins as illustrator and his preferences for drawing and painting are visible in his prints. He probably never underwent the traditional apprenticeship in any of the printmaking schools. Some believe, he had been a pupil of Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (Taiso). But his style does not support this theory. Gekkō's work was originally closely based upon that of Kikuchi Yōsai, and he was also inspired by Hokusai, creating a series of one hundred prints of Mount Fuji. However, he did develop his own style, with significant stylistic elements from nihonga.

When he turned to printmaking, his personal different style created some problems for the block carvers and printers. They were used to clear lines and separated areas of the same color. Art critics say that Gekko tried to imitate the brush stroke in his prints. One of Ogata's favorite subjects are natural prints. His kacho-e - bird prints - are numerous. He had a special skill for the details of the plumage of the birds. Later Koson (Shoson) Ohara, a shin hanga artist, developed a similar mastership in depicting the birds' plumage.

He contributed to preserve traditional values, as to be seen in Gekko's historical series. Another important theme of Gekko's graphics are genre scenes from everyday life of his contemporaries, like mothers with their children, or children playing in the street. These pictures give an interesting insight into life in Japan at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Personal life - Geko was married for two times. In 1888, he wed his art student TAI Kiku, and changed his name to TAI Masanosuke. Gekkō died on 1 October 1920 in Shin-Ogawamachi, and was buried in the Ushigome Ward of Tokyo at age 61.

Aliases - His art names include Ogata Gekkō, Ogata Masanosuke, Kagyōrō, Meikyōsai, Kiyū, Kagyōsai, Meikyōsai, Nagami Shōnosuke, Nen'yū, and Tai Masanosuke

Disciples - He had few students, the best-known of whom was Kōgyo Tsukioka, the adopted son of Yoshitoshi.

(1859 - 1920)