TOMIYAMA TAEKO
Description
Theater Beneath the Sea Splendid Banquet for the Empire
Oil on canvas
65 x 51 2/3" (FRAMED)
2008
Theater Beneath the Sea Splendid Banquet for the Empire is part of the series, Hiruko and the Puppeteers (2008), and is one of the largest and most ambitious of the artist's career sustaining her longstanding focus on transnational history, warfare, and Japan's brutal colonization of its Asian neighbors. A celebratory flower ball draws the viewer into an undersea world, but reveals itself to be a jellyfish, silently spreading its toxins. Set against a deep green background, the sea floor exposes remnants of imperialism that have been hauntingly preserved, including the emperors official emblem and stylized Manchurian costumes. Amidst these relics, a capitalist party unfolds, engulfed in gold confettia spectacle of excess and consumption, contrasting with the forgotten toxins looming above.
Following traditional Japanese naming conventions, last name is lprovided first.
Following traditional Japanese naming conventions, last name is lprovided first.
Date
2008
Creator
TAEKO, Tomiyama
b. Japan, 1921-2021
Source
Gift of Sakata Natsume in memory of her mother Tomiyama Taeko
Identifier
2025.001.004
Collection
Citation
TAEKO, Tomiyama and b. Japan, 1921-2021, “TOMIYAMA TAEKO,” UCSB ADA Museum Omeka, accessed March 14, 2025, http://art-collections.museum.ucsb.edu/items/show/17110.