Samizu chatgpt initial efforts 7/9/2023

 Samizu Matsuki's

Education

Elementary School - Hokkaido 1st and 2nd grade: Ikushun-Betsu elementary school 2nd, 3rd, 4th Doya (Toya)-Ko Elementary school 4th and 5th grades Abira elementary school 5th and 6th Ueno (elementary school Junior High School - Hokkaido 1sr, 2md, 3rd year Otaki Jr High 3rd year Shiraoi Junior High High School - Hokkaido Tomakomai High School Above Schools are in Hokkaido College - Tokyo The Women's College of Fine Arts Tokyo.

Earliest Art Education and activity Samizu was the child of schoolteachers Satoru and Masue Matsuki. Like other intellectuals in 1920s and early 1930s Japan, the Matsukis enjoyed access to classical and recent western philosophers, thinkers and educators They drenched Samizu with western music, art and philosophy

My method of drawing and painting was first learned from my father, then a teacher at Japanese public school, when I was between 4 and 5 years old.. [At that time, having shown little interest in traditional dance, Koto music or piano, Samizu was brought to the artist Chi Oh, a contemporary of her father. Chi Oh saw that Samizu was not suited to rote learning, and introduced her to drawing and painting.]

As Samizu recounts it: "Don't repeat yourself!" said my very first art teacher Chi Oh (translates as Tail of Eagle) “He looked like a fierce eagle to me. A really good teacher, very progressive.“

Under his tutelage the young prodigy thrived. Chi Oh demanded that individual creative expression be her goal, “Always sketch!” Chi Oh required of her. “Explore the possibilities. But keep going until it is done". That, Chi Oh held, was the purpose of training: to recognize completion. Her parents had a collection of western art books. Samizu noted that “before school age, I was initiated into the world of impressionism . Among Picasso’s elephantine gray women laying on the beach, Degas’ phantom-like dancing girls, etc, the strongest impression on my child’s eye were the pencil or conte crayon sketches of bathing females by Degas. Since copying of artworks was the main activity in the art classroom of pre- war and during World War 2, my rendering skill in this aspect was already “satisfactory” to the eyes of the amateurs, including myself at around ten years of age, when I spent a great deal of time copying paintings by Raphael and the French neo-Raphaelite School.

“When I was twelve years old, I was able to make fairly accurate rendition of external and internal objects in the form of drawings. I remember this age in particular, for in that year I finally acquired “the method” of transferring three dimensional object, a horse’s face, to the flat surface with satisfaction. Medium: pastel. I also used pencils, crayons and water colour; paper of all kinds. I learned the “feel” of chiaroscuro at this time. Medium: thick application of water color.

During my 12th through 14th years of age, I received professional instruction from Mr. Ono, then a budding artist of the mainstream of the Hokkaido Art Scene.

His technique was based on classic western method of painting, executed in water colour. (Material for oil painting was then too scarce for student use.) The feel of body manipulation of the pigments and mechanical perspectives applied to the scenery were the main focal points throughout the learning. I have to point out great help in technical and aesthetic subjects of painting given me by my father during this period.

Upon completing private studies on western art history when I was twelve years old, I further fortified my admiration toward the Great Renaissance Three: Michaelangelo, Davinci and Raphael, who were commonly recommended by the Japanese Ministry of Education.

I remember a book with rather detailed explanatory phrases describing da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” in Italy in photo format, which may take considerable alterations of present one, to create the same or similar scenes back to what it was, then.

This “discovery” to this day gives me the the sense of suspicion of the authenticity of today’s surface presentation of the “Last Supper.” It may havebeen “restored” some time during the early period of the twentieth century.

The same book, a red cloth bound, satin covered finish, also introduced me to Massachio, Tintoretto, Rembrandt, El Greco, Delacroix, Cezanne, and more.

COLOR

The treatments of color has been curiously my weakest aspect in my artistic endeavors. After my father had painstakingly made me understand the phenomenon of multi-colorings made by interplay of light and reflected light on the snow, I painted a multi-colorful snow scene resembling more or less those of autumn scenery.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this attempt eventually led me into the Spectral Jungle of Complex Mystery. During those period my paintings (medium: opaque water colours, Japanese product) were executed by the application of thick pigment juxtaposing and or overlapping each other after the fashion of something like barbaric pointillism.

I won prizes at the Junior Poster Contest on two different occasions , by poster painting done in this manner. During the period, poster art shows by Soviet youth, was brought to a nearby town. Technical excellence of the student work was phenomenal. I suppose I was transfixed by some of their work.

I particularly remember a fourteen year old boy’s water colours or casein execution of a railroad scene on the great Russian plain. I wondered whether two years later--I was then twelve--I’d be able to paint as well as this boy of a foreign land.

This experience of awe is the factor which drove me to obsession with detail, for the boy’s painting, aside from its perspective interest: flat plains, flat sky, flat side view railroad...nothing vertical other than a few stalks of grass, meticulously true to the anatomy of the nature requisite for rendering fidelity... seemed to me as impressive as da Vinci’s synergies in its technical perfection.

But there was a vista totally alien to the cosy forage of European nature, and technical indiosyncrasy which exuded the vitality of the New Age with its superb candidacy.

Perhaps the interest to produce “Triumphal Return” (one of my paintings executed in 1970 in New York City) was planted in my bosom at this time, although two paintings, one done by a 14 year old Soviet youth and another by a 34 year old Japanese woman, may barely have any resemblance toward each other at all.”

In her first year at Tomakomai High School, Samizu was elected class president and leader of several school clubs. The local newspaper awarded Samizu a "Genius" award for her remarkable drawing of the statue of the Venus de Milo. Later her high school art teacher Kato himself went on to win an award for his oil paintings in France.

In her third year at Tomokomai High School, Samizu became head of the student body. Echoing her parent's anti authoritarian leanings, Samizu promoted increased high school student rights, while setting an example of traditional propriety as head of the student body. Some of her fellow students called her "the dictator" for her enforcement of the latter.

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Samizu Matsuki's education can be summarized as follows:

Elementary School:

• 1st and 2nd grade: Ikushun-Betsu Elementary School
• 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade: Doya (Toya)-Ko Elementary School
• 4th and 5th grade: Abira Elementary School
• 5th and 6th grade: Ueno Elementary School

Junior High School:

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd year: Otaki Junior High School
• 3rd year: Shiraoi Junior High School

High School:

• Tomakomai High School

College:

• The Women's College of Fine Arts Tokyo

Samizu Matsuki's earliest art education began when she was between 4 and 5 years old, under the guidance of her father, who was a teacher at a Japanese public school. She also received instruction from the artist Chi Oh, who introduced her to drawing and painting and emphasized individual creative expression. During her childhood, she was exposed to Western art through her parents' collection of art books.

At the age of 12, she acquired the ability to make accurate drawings of external and internal objects. During this time, she received professional instruction from Mr. Ono, a budding artist in the Hokkaido Art Scene, who taught her classic Western methods of painting using watercolors.

Samizu also studied Western art history and developed admiration for artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael. She further explored different mediums and techniques, including pastels, pencils, crayons, and watercolors.

Samizu's high school years were notable for her artistic achievements. She won a "Genius" award from the local newspaper for her drawing of the Venus de Milo, and her high school art teacher, Kato, received recognition for his oil paintings in France. In her third year of high school, she became the head of the student body and promoted increased student rights while upholding traditional propriety.

Overall, Samizu Matsuki's education and artistic development encompassed a range of experiences and influences, from early exposure to Western art to formal instruction in traditional and classic Western methods of painting.

About Samizu Matsuki. Samizu Matsuki's significance is in her returning the techniques of Western Classical Realism painting, as refined by Japanese art schools since the 19th century, back to the West. In the early 1970s she created a series of award winning works before injury and later, Lyme Disease, ended her career, though Born March 16, 1936 in Uryu, Hokkaido, Japan, Samizu (She prefers use of her first name) was introduced early to western culture by her parents, the educators Satoru and Masue Matsuki, both the Western Canon and the works of westinfluenced Japanese artists Ryusei Kishida and Kuroda Seiki. Awarded a scholarship to the Women's College of Fine Art's Faculty of Western Painting, Tokyo, Samizu graduated in 1958 and taught in two Tokyo public schools. A failed marriage to American airman Herman Berry, including a year in a remote Appalachian village in western North Carolina with Berry’s family while he served in Pakistan, ended in divorce. Samizu recuperating from cancer surgery, plunged into the New York fine arts cultural scene. By 1975 her explorations of classical realism, especially “Triumphal Return”, “Ah!”,” and “ Celebrator and “Opia”, Barbara and the Fortune Teller”, “Still Life “ had won her a gold medal at the 1970 First New York International Art Show, membership as one of the first woman artists in New York City’s hitherto maleonly Salmagundi Art Club, the Grand Prix at the 1971 Locust Valley Art Show on Long Island, New York, and the Award of Excellence at the 1974 Abraham & Straus-Hempstead Art Show, "Long Island Art '74". Samizu's paintings drew huge crowds at these events, challenging a then dominant abstract expressionist paradigm with her intensively detailed realist oil paintings. In her small way she played a subtle yet critical role in re-affirming the legitimacy of realistic oil painting as High Art in the American painting scene. Samizu’s works have suffered obscurity due to several factors: the abrupt termination of her career from health problems, the disinclination of two collectors who own some of her important works to allow them to leave their homes, and by the disappearance of a third collector NJ attorney Herman Brown,who acquired three important paintings “Opia”, Barbara and the Fortune Teller”, “Still Life”, in the mid 1970s. She hopes that some day they may move to more public venues For more information: www.samizu.com

FROM samizu_nyc_book_102011.pdf

Samizu Matsuki, born on March 16, 1936, in Uryu, Hokkaido, Japan, is a significant artist known for her contributions to Western Classical Realism painting. She was exposed to Western culture at an early age through her parents, who were educators familiar with the Western Canon and the works of Japanese artists influenced by the West.

Samizu received a scholarship to the Women's College of Fine Art's Faculty of Western Painting in Tokyo and graduated in 1958. She later taught in two public schools in Tokyo. Her marriage to an American airman ended in divorce, and during her recuperation from cancer surgery, she became involved in the New York fine arts cultural scene.

In the 1970s, Samizu's exploration of classical realism gained recognition. Her paintings, including "Triumphal Return," "Ah!," "Celebrator and Opia," "Barbara and the Fortune Teller," and "Still Life," garnered acclaim and awards. She won a gold medal at the 1970 First New York International Art Show, became a member of the male-dominated Salmagundi Art Club in New York City, received the Grand Prix at the 1971 Locust Valley Art Show, and earned the Award of Excellence at the 1974 Abraham & Straus-Hempstead Art Show.

Samizu's intensely detailed realist oil paintings challenged the dominant abstract expressionist paradigm at the time and played a role in re-affirming the legitimacy of realistic oil painting as High Art in the American painting scene. However, her career was abruptly halted due to health problems, including an injury and later Lyme Disease.

Despite her artistic achievements, Samizu's works have faced obscurity due to various factors, including the reluctance of collectors to allow her important pieces to leave their homes and the disappearance of a collector named Herman Brown, who acquired three significant paintings in the 1970s. Samizu hopes that her works will eventually find their way to more public venues.

For more information about Samizu Matsuki and her artwork, you can visit her website at www.samizu.com.

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In the passage you provided, it seems that the author is reflecting on their experience of leaving Japan and arriving in the United States. They express a feeling of being unprepared in terms of materials and books about Japan. The books they had brought with them were mostly focused on existentialism, which was popular at the time, but not useful for their new environment. They mention having only a few books on Japan, such as Japanese garden design and works on aesthetics.

The author describes their decision to leave Japan as a form of escape, wanting to get away from Tokyo and perhaps seeking a fresh start. However, they also express a sense of uneasiness and a growing awareness of their Japanese identity while in the United States. This newfound awareness of being "Japanese" seems to have emerged in non-interpersonal situations, particularly in the context of international and domestic politics.

It appears that the author's experience of living in the United States triggered a deeper reflection on their own identity and place within the larger geopolitical landscape. They begin to pay attention to international politics and question where they stand as a "Japanese" person. This realization marks a significant shift in their perspective and may have influenced their subsequent experiences and reflections.

VERSION 2

n the passage you provided, it seems that Samizu Matsuki reflects on her experience of leaving Japan and arriving in the United States. She mentions that she had brought numerous books with her, but they were mostly unrelated to the U.S. and did not fulfill her need to learn about the country. Her collection primarily consisted of books on existentialism, which were not useful in her new context. She had limited resources on Japan, including books on Japanese garden design and works by Shuzo Kuki and Shogo Kanehara.

The author expresses a sense of escape and the desire to distance herself from Tokyo, as if it were a "suicide mission." This suggests a strong desire for a fresh start or a break from her previous life.

Upon arriving in the United States, the author's attention turns to international politics and her own identity as a "Japanese." This awareness of her Japanese identity arises for the first time in her life while being in the United States. It seems that the author's experience in the U.S. prompts her to confront her nationality and how it situates her within the international political landscape.

Overall, this passage portrays the author's introspection and the beginning of her journey to explore her identity and place in the world, particularly in the context of being a Japanese person in the United States.

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In the passage provided, Samizu Matsuki reflects on her childhood experiences in Hokkaido during the 1940s. She describes a period when her father, a member of a pacifism-oriented poet's organization, disappeared during World War II. As a result, Samizu, her mother, and her siblings were constantly moving from one relative's place to another, living as fugitives.

During this time, Samizu attended four different elementary schools, and she recounts that life with her relatives was filled with mystical experiences. She particularly mentions staying at her uncle's house, which had an extraordinary quietness and a sense of aquatic calm. The uncle's home had visitors, and in the evenings, Samizu and her younger sister would listen to adults talking about various episodes of the day.

Samizu recalls the visits of an old medicine man who shared a story about his talking crow. The medicine man had been leaving food for the crow in the forest, and one day, the crow flew ahead of him and started speaking to him. It asked to be taken home, and the medicine man agreed. He brought the crow to the town, and Samizu expresses her fascination with this story and her uncle's ability to communicate with bears, which she found both awesome and mysterious.

Overall, this passage provides glimpses of Samizu Matsuki's childhood in Hokkaido, highlighting the tumultuous times during World War II and the mystical experiences she had with relatives and encounters with nature.

VERSION 2 In the provided passage, Samizu Matsuki reflects on her experiences during the Second World War in Hokkaido, Japan. During the war, her pacifist father disappeared, and Samizu, along with her mother and siblings, had to move between different relatives' houses as fugitives. She attended multiple elementary schools during this time.

One particular uncle's house stood out to Samizu. It had a quiet and serene atmosphere, and her uncle's wife had a calm and tranquil personality. Samizu would spend evenings there, listening to adults talking and sharing stories. The house had many visitors, and the conversations often touched on wilderness, distant cities, and recent travels. Samizu found herself drawn to her uncle's friends and their tales.

During one night, an old medicine man visited the farmhouse and shared a story about his talking crow. He explained how he had noticed the crow watching him and started leaving food for it. Eventually, the crow began to fly ahead of him and communicate with him, even asking to be taken home. The medicine man decided to bring the crow with him, and it followed him soundlessly through the forest. The passage ends with a mention of Samizu's uncle's ability to communicate with bears, which added to his aura of mystery.

This passage captures Samizu's childhood experiences in Hokkaido, highlighting the mystical and enchanting moments she encountered, particularly within her uncle's house and the tales shared by visitors.

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my father

In this personal reflection by Samizu Matsuki, she reminisces about her father and his seemingly magical abilities. She describes the time after the end of World War II, when her father emerged from the chaos of war and joined their family. Samizu recalls how her father possessed psychic powers, which she observed through various incidents.

One such incident involved her father producing real grapes out of the folds of a skirt, claiming they came from a bunch of grapes. Another incident occurred during a memorial event celebrating the founding of Japan, where a plane with three feathers instead of two appeared in the sky, and a black figure descended from it. Samizu and her family witnessed this mysterious event, and her father later revealed that he was the man hanging from the plane.

Samizu's father continued to amaze her with his abilities, such as transforming into a ghost called Doppelgängen and encouraging her not to fear ghosts. She shares how her father's words and actions provided comfort and amusement throughout her life. Even after his passing, she feels his presence in the unexplained closing of doors and credits it to a ghost called a poltergeist, hearing her father's voice in the background.

This reflection offers a glimpse into Samizu Matsuki's childhood and the special connection she had with her father, who seemed to possess extraordinary abilities. It illustrates the enduring impact he had on her perception of the world and her ability to find comfort in the unexplained.

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