Wave Motif - Early Bath
Artist: Vicki Scheele
Materials: Mixed Media
Dimensions: 8x8 in
Artist Statement: Repeated patterns and abstracted natural forms have been represented in Japanese art from earliest times. The undulating blue ocean waves in the vintage piece of yukata fabric that informs this collage, follows this tradition. As in my companion piece, Arrows Against Evil, this work incorporates images from the Ukiyo-e genre of Japanese art.
Although Yukata were common in Edo period homes, it was not until public bath culture became popular in the Meiji period (1868-1912) that yukatas began to be worn publicly. Public bathhouses, which are highly regarded, brought yukatas into great popularity.
The waves in this yukata pattern brought my thoughts to the endless waves of the ocean. The ocean may have provided the first baths in the long-march through history to public bath houses. My collage imagines this to be true and celebrates both the pleasure and the rituals of bathing in Japan.
Artist Bio: Vicki Scheele (b. 1946) is a self-taught collagist currently living in Southern California. Her work has been included in several publications including two by the Kolaj Institute: Transitional MOMENTS and Artists in the Archives, which included her work being exhibited at The Henry Sheldon Historical Museum in Middleton, Vermont.
A perspective on current and past experiences of cultural change is the starting point for much of Vicki’s work. Her approach to collage is non-institutional and somewhat idiosyncratic. Curiosity and a desire to understand the new, while still trying to reconcile it with the past, is a frequent theme in her work.
She uses traditional collage materials of books, magazines, photos, ephemera, found objects, new and vintage, as well as paint, ink and her own handwriting. Vicki’s work revels in the artistic freedom inherent in collage. Complex emotions such as acceptance of change, hope, confusion, fear, and anger are explored in a voice made more powerful through the medium of collage. Everyone tells stories to themselves, as does she in her collages.
Fabric Motif: A country made up of island, the surrounding water is an important aspect of Japan’s culture. The ocean provides the bounty of food and trade but also looms as a powerful force capable of destruction. The wave motif shares the symbolism of being both life-giving and life-threatening.
This piece is part of the Yukata Inspired 2024, a collaborative exhibition between Okan Arts & Danaca Design featuring metalwork and collage. Learn more and view the entire collection HERE.
All artwork from this collection will be available for shipping or pickup after the exhibition concludes on June 23rd. If you'd like to purchase an art piece as a gift, we'll happily provide you with a printed image and its inspiration story.