MINGEI | Art of the People: Exploring the Mingei Film Archive

ZOOM Gallery Talk
MINGEI | Art of the People: Exploring the Mingei Film Archive
Recorded April 18 2024
Perhaps one of the best-known aspects of Japanese ceramics in the West remains the Mingei folk art movement and its leading proponents, Hamada Shōji and Bernard Leach. Because of their advocacy and publicly facing roles, aided greatly by the medium of film, the timeless qualities of Mingei have figured prominently in the perception of Japanese art in the West throughout the twentieth century. For this unique ZOOM Gallery Talk, filmmaker Marty Gross shares with us his extraordinary mission to restore, record, preserve, and archive the films of and about Mingei from the early twentieth century in his project, Mingei Film Archive. He will share with us rare footage of prewar Japan and of pottery production in centers such as Tamba and Mashiko. As a potter himself, Marty Gross shares with us how the Mingei Film Archive developed and how his personal journey merged his two great artistic interests to create this remarkable and irreplaceable resource for ceramics and for Japanese art lovers.
PANELIST:
Marty Gross, filmmaker and founder of Mingei Film Archive, based in Toronto, Canada
moderated by Joan Mirviss
0:00:00 Welcome and introduction - JOAN MIRVISS
00:01:07 History of Japanese ceramics in the Mingei movement
00:12:17 Opening remarks - MARTY GROSS
00:14:02 Film of Hamada Shōji at work
00:23:19 Bernard Leach and the Mingei movement
00:27:38 Film of Bernard Leach discussing Hamada Shōji and discussion
00:33:28 Film of Mahiko and the production of ceramics and discussion
00:44:50 Process of restoration of archival footage
00:51:53 Film of Tamba and production wares and discussion
1:01:10 Film of paper production in the Mingei Movement
1:10:01 Question and Answers
All footage presented by Marty Gross for this panel is copyright the Mingei Film Archive
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You can also find us on Facebook / mirviss
Event recording edited by Michael Greenberger

[@rosinabuckland8802]

Fantastic presentation - thank you so much. Marty's work is so important, and it's wonderful to hear him talk about it so informatively and warmly.

[@glenncambray9783]

Fascinating clips from the past. Deeply informative and therapeutic to watch. Very enriching to learn so many new things.

[@StephenRodriguez-li4jp]

This was a fantastic presentation of Mingei pottery! And the sharing of films by Marty Gross were absolutely incredible! Especially coupled with yours and his commentary makes it so endearing. Many thanks!
Best, Stephen Rodriguez

[@joanbmirvissltd3855]

thank you for the comments. We are so glad you liked the presentation.

[@johnsalgir]

Wonderful talk thanks so much. Marty is a cool guy.