Art or Trash?

Ono’s life takes on many different forms throughout the story An Artist of the

Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. Ono is first seen as a student of art, perfecting his painting skills and his ability to put feeling in his art. Being a student of the Takeda firm Ono begins to learn how to put persuasion and inspiration in his paintings. During this time in Ono’s life he is still trying to establish himself in the art community of Japan, and is willing to sacrifice his time working long hours.

Ono’s hard work in the Takeda firm does not go unnoticed and he is eventually offered an internship working for Seiji Moriyama where he will be studying at Moriyama’s villa. Moriyama sees potential in the young Ono and decides to make Ono his personal student of art along with a few other select artists. Ono excels beyond many of his fellow students becoming a well-known artist in his own right. This exposure through Moriyama’s training makes Ono a prime recruit for the Okada-Shingen Society. After six years training at Moriyama’s villa Ono adopts the patriotic style handed down to him by Chishu Matsuda and the Okada-Shingen Society. When Moriyama sees Ono’s new style he is asked to abandon the style, but the nationalistic wave sweeping the country embraces Ono’s style and sends him into artistic prestige.

            Many in post war Japan see Ono’s patriotic paintings as propaganda used to cement an idea and feeling that controlled a nation. Ironically prior to Japans defeat Ono’s paintings were seen as the finest art that was being produced in the country due to the inspiration it gave many of the Japanese people. It all depends on how one sees art, technically Ono was trained in a certain “art-form” when he learned the patriotic painting and in my opinion anything can be art depending on your own perspective. His paintings took skill, preparation, and insight making them a good quality form of art. It has taste that can inspire a nation to rally behind nationalistic ideas. It may not even spark radical ideas or change, but only a harmless sense of pride for ones nation. Ono’s patriotic painting was not tasteless propaganda; it was a tool that utilized an art form to portray ideas and feelings. Ono’s patriotic paintings took hard work and skill making it good art.

            Ono’s second pictured painting that is considered by some to be bourgeois decadence could not be farther from the truth. All art is perceived differently, and some may think that propaganda is not art, but Ono made his paintings to inspire his people and become a hero. That sort of dedication to painting skill makes all of Ono’s work “art”. If Japan had never lost World War II, Ono’s paintings would have been held on the highest mantle of the most famous museum in Japan displaying Japanese culture and ideas. There is no doubt that both of Ono’s paintings are works of art.

Ono did the right thing when he joined the Okada Shingen Society because as he saw his people living in slums and broken down buildings he knew that his patriotic art could help his people get a sense of worth and nationalism. This sort of thought should never put a mans integrity at risk if he only desire to help his people.