Aiko Robinson
Shunga is a form of pornography, or erotica, which flourished in Japan during the Edo period (17th-19th centuries). Aiko Robinson became interested in Shunga prints during her undergraduate study in New Zealand in early 2013. Robinson’s initial interest in Shunga sprouted out of the criticism from her academics at university that her work was “too safe” and “too cute”. In response to this, she gave them pornography. What started as a practice more concerned with show and shock factor however quickly turned into her passion. Historical Shunga reflects the acceptance or celebration of sex in Shinto culture, and values love, mutual pleasure and equality between sexual partners. Shunga, which literally translates to “Spring pictures” is also positively associated with the season of fertility and new life. She is interested in how these idealised visions of the Shunga artist might compare to prevailing ideas regarding pornography in contemporary society.
Tell us about your creative process, what drives your practice?
A large part of my creative process focuses on my details. Ukiyoe and Shunga were characterised by the luscious patterned fabric of the kimono and the surrounding scenery. I have used detail and patterning in my own work to create a sense of narrative, and to draw the viewers eye in. My audience have enjoyed finding details such as mushroom and shellfish motifs in the fabric, representing male and female genitalia. They might find a tissue box and tissues scattered around the subjects. The theory behind the details is to encourage my viewers to spend more time with my work, guiding their gaze through the entirety of the composition. Bold erotic statements can often shock viewers risking them to walk away too quickly, perhaps missing much of the conversation and intent behind my work. A recurring narrative in my work is the display of sex in more public spaces. The subjects of my work are typically seen out of doors, enjoying sex in nature, or perhaps by a window with the curtains open. This is a metaphor for openness, and encouraging positive conversations about sex. It is also a reminder of the naturalness of sex. The most important thing about my work is to provide a safe space to discuss sex
What dialogues surrounding sex and the erotic do you explore and hope to stimulate through your work?
Shunga has continued to be an important inspiration for my work. Historical Shunga is a celebration of love and fertility, but what is more interesting, and perhaps most relevant to contemporary society, is that Shunga displays the joys of sex, mutual pleasure, a sense of equality between lovers and sexual empowerment.
The men in my works wear condoms for safe sex. The primary focus of my work is not fertility, but sex for pleasure. Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, some of my audience find my work less confronting when the discussion is focused on the idea of sex for reproduction. While this in itself is beautiful, I am more interested in normalising conversations of sex, and especially of pleasure. I think that sexual pleasure is important as it brings joy to life. It is as grand a theme as reproduction and it should be talked about.
The Japanese art of Shunga is an ongoing source of creative and cultural inspiration for you, and is traditionally associated with woodblock printing and painting. In this context, what has drawn you to expand its application to lithography and copper-plate etching?
Japanese Shunga and Ukiyoe are often accompanied by text which is artfully placed within the composition. The text is often the dialogue exchanged between the figures in the scenes. In these texts we often come across examples of 「言葉遊び」(kotobaasobi), “a play on words”, or puns, which add to the joy and humour of the scene. A common word for sex in Japanese is “Ecchi”, which sounds very similar to the word Etching, or “Ecchingu” in Japanese. So naturally I had to create a series of copper plate etchings titled “Ecchi Etching”. I also incorporated copperplate etching into my art practice because historically in the West many erotic artworks were made in this medium. Of course “Want to come up and see my etchings?” is one of the oldest and most cliched pick up lines in Western history.
As regards to Lithography, I was excited by the potential to create works with a more painterly quality, which is quite difficult to achieve in woodblock or etching. It allowed for a stylistic change which has given my work a lighter quality.
Your subjects are often engaged in intimate acts, yet remain faceless. What is the significance of this? Does this link to notions of the gendered ‘gaze’?
The inspiration to remove the face from my compositions came about in 2013 when my tutor at University, Imogen Taylor, renowned New Zealand painter told me the heads were distracting. I had long thought that the stylised facial features of the subjects in Ukiyo-e and Shunga seemed blank and mask-like. My attention was almost always drawn to other elements of the composition such as the patterns of the fabric, the scenery, the finger tips and the toes curled up in pleasure. I also felt hesitant to give the subjects a specific identity. Removing the face from the picture gave me more freedom to explore composition without the burden of identity politics. I think it also allows my audience freedom of imagination. I suspect it also allows people to view my works without the discomfort or shame of the subject’s gaze, hopefully allowing us to speak more openly about sex. The faceless figure has opened up the potential for some humorous titles, which tie in with the culture of puns and play on words in Shunga and Ukiyo-e. My favourites titles have been “Head over heels” and “Love is blind”, which are both common phrases of romantic love, but also allude to the faceless, and therefore sightless nature of the figures.
Are there any female printmakers | artists that influence you?
Kiki Smith was my gateway into printmaking back in high school and has continued to be a source of inspiration. I love her use of paper, texture, collage and her drawings. In Western art culture there continues to exist a sense that printmaking and works on paper are a lower art to something like an oil painting on canvas. This idea does not exist in a lot of Asian cultures, and particularly Japanese art culture. Works on paper receive as much importance as any other medium of art. These cultural differences have always intrigued me as a lover of paper. To me Kiki Smith’s work is a celebration of paper, it’s materiality, texture and potential for a more soft and intricate expression of art.
Katsushika Ōi is the daughter of Katsushika Hokusai. She is one of the only known female artists during the Edo period. The production of Ukiyo’e prints were divided into three rigid roles, that of Artist, Carver and Printer. The Artist was commissioned to design the print, the Carver and Printer would then take over the execution of the work into woodblock print. While many women were involved in the production of an Ukiyoe or Shunga print, behind the scenes as part of the Carver and Printer processes, the role of Artist, seemed to be a predominantly male profession. Ōi is the only female artist of this period that is known to us today. Ōi was an artist in her own right and produced a number of excellent prints. It is suspected she signed a number of her works under her father’s name as they would have fetched her a higher price for her work. I like to think that perhaps some of Hokusai’s Shunga works were maybe in fact made by Ōi.
Finally, what exciting projects are you working on at the moment?
I am newly represented by Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland and am working hard towards Sydney Contemporary and a solo show. I am very excited to be showing two large scale works at Sydney Contemporary and looking forward to sharing them.
