The Ackland Art Museum’s exhibition "Flash of Light, Fog of War: Japanese Military Prints, 1894-1905" captures the cultural and historical perspectives of Japanese woodblock prints from the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War at the turn of the 20th century.
With the rise of modern war technologies, such as electric searchlights, explosions, fog and long-range ammunition, Japanese printmakers utilized new atmospheric and light effects to document battle scenes.
The exhibition showcases part of a large gift the Ackland received of over 240 Japanese prints from Gene and Susan Roberts. The gift contains several prints that are rare, some of which have never been published before or seen in an American display.
“It's unique to find ones that are in as good of condition as the ones we have on display,” said Lauren Turner, Ackland's assistant curator. “You really get to see some of the vibrancy behind the printmaking.”
"Flash of Light, Fog of War" was organized by Bradley Bailey, the Ackland's first associate curator of Asian art. Bailey explored the history of the prints, as well as their installation, creating a sense of theatricality throughout the display.
The exhibition is divided into sections, each displaying a new modern war technology. The installation of the exhibition uniquely reflects each print through the use of space and the contrast of colors.
“There is a really fascinating installation,” said Peter Nisbet, the Ackland's deputy director for curatorial affairs. “This is an exhibition that’s much intensified by how it is laid out — the walls we have built, the shape of the pathway you go through, the colors of the wall, the lighting.”
The exhibition has come to Chapel Hill in the midst of other conversations about war, from Silent Sam to the photographs of refugees in UNC’s Friday Center.
“It is a chance to think about how war is presented, how war is interpreted," Nisbet said. "In this previous age, it is always relevant to now. It fits into an issue on campus and an issue in our culture.”
