Archie Rand and John Yau, J from The Alphabet Paintings, 1987-94, acrylic on gold lamé, courtesy of the artists
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James Shigeta
Japanese-American actor James Shigeta starred in many blockbuster films in the 50s and 60s, gaining recognition as one of the few Asian actors and, more notably, Asian leads. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Shigeta moved to the mainland to study acting at New York University. He first gained public recognition as a singer on the television show “The Original Amateur Hour”, winning first place and moving to Hollywood to expand his career. He worked under the name Guy Brion to hide his ethnic-sounding family name. He took a break from music to serve in the military during the Korean War, rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corp. During a ceasefire while he was on his way to Korea, Shigeta found himself in Japan. Although he did not speak the language upon arriving, he was hired by a theatrical division called Toho Studios and began making a name for himself as an actor. After making it back to the States, Shigeta was offered lead roles as the romantic interest of white women, a revolutionary and progressive move at the time as anti-miscegenation laws were still in place at the beginning of his career. He went on to win many accolades, including the 1960 Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Male Newcomer along with George Hamilton, Troy Donahue, and Barry Coe. After a history of yellowface, Shigeta’s presence in highly acclaimed movies opened the doors for other Asian American actors to portray themselves on screen. Artists Archie Rand and John Yau pay homage to Shigeta, along with other prominent Asian American actors, in their piece J from The Alphabet Series. Learn more about James Shigeta with the link below, and find Rand and Yau’s collaborative piece in the Main Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://rafu.com/2014/07/obituary-james-shigeta-leading-man-in-hollywood-movies/
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Max Gimblett and John Yau, Shape Drifter from the William Gibson Suite, 1993/97, acrylic, collage, and Swiss gold on Kinkami paper, courtesy of Max Gimblett
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William Gibson
Regarded as the pioneer in the cyberpunk and steampunk genres, William Gibson is an American-Canadian novelist, essayist, and speculative fiction author whose work focused on the impacts of technology and alternate history. His integration of high and low tech paired with complex character interactions with the environment creates a space for real inequalities to be explored in fictitious, futuristic worlds. Faced with failing systems from a young age, Gibson found escape in literature. After the death of his mother at 18, Gibson briefly moved to Canada to evade the draft. While there, he worked at a headshop and was confronted by the rampant depression, suicide, and hard drug abuse other American draft dodgers experienced. Moving back to the U.S., Gibson was involved with anti-war and counterculture movements and ended up getting his high school diploma at 21. With minimal income and a desire to travel, Gibson and his soon-to-be wife Deborah Jean Thompson traveled to politically unstable countries with good exchange rates. Seeing varying degrees of unrest and civil conflict, Gibson’s draw to science fiction only grew. He wrote an array of short, postmodern fiction pieces, but his debut novel Neuromancer in 1984 solidified his place as a prolific science fiction writer. Academic and writer Billy J. Stratton talks about the impact of Neuromancer in his article “William Gibson, Neuromancer and the Making of a Reluctant Cyberpunk”. Find his analysis with the link below, and find Max Gimblett and John Yau’s nod to William Gibson’s work in their piece Shape Drifter from the William Gibson Suite in the Treehaven Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://hollywoodprogressive.com/literature/william-gibson
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Tracy Featherstone and John Yau, Advice: Put an Egg in Your Shoe & Beat It, 2023, ed. 1/6, monotype, letterpress, and relief print on paper, courtesy of Tracy Featherstone
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Tracy Featherstone
Ohio-based artist Tracy Featherstone uses an array of mediums to explore the complexities of our natural environment. With an affinity for sculpture and ceramic, Featherstone was quickly confronted with the materialism and “foreverness” of art: “Once you fire [ceramics], it doesn’t have another lifespan.” She is currently in the process of transforming Miami University's print shop into a non-toxic, environmentally friendly shop. In her interview with the Art Academy of Cincinnati, she opens up about her art process during Covid, influences, and sustainability. Find the interview down below to learn more about her vision, and find her and John Yau’s collaborative pieces in the Main Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://www.artacademy.edu/news/tracy-featherstone-exhibition/ |
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From the Archive
(VIDEO) Creative Industries Discussion: John Yau & Stuart Horodner
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