Ukiyo-e and What Could be Considered Today's "low" or Cheap Art

Last week in Drawing and Printmaking, we talked about Ukiyo-e and Japanese culture. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Ukiyo-e was considered by most to be cheap or "low" art. It was considered art for commoners, not the wealthy. Today we look at Ukiyo-e for what it is, amazing pieces of art work, not common “postcard” art.

            There are many forms of art today that I think are considered low, or common and that one day will be seen as high-end art. What I think can be considered one Ukiyo-e of today has to do with some social media, like blogs written by average “unknown” people. Blogs are not art in the traditional sense, but they do give an incredible, in-depth view on today’s society, much as Ukiyo-e gave a window into Japanese culture.  I think that hundreds of years from now, people will look back on what we have written and shared in our blogs and tweets and see them for more than what we see them today.