Prey I, copperplate engraving No.7, Fish series by Shin Taga

10/06/2023

3 min

Lust For Reading: Erotic Bookplates of Shin Taga

10/06/2023

3 min

Remembering the erotic ex-libris of Alphonse Inoue

Our current article is devoted to Alphonse Inoue, the modern copperplate engraver from Japan. Information on his bio is scarce. It’s known that he was born in 1941 in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, and began his art..

, as avid readers ourselves, we decided to continue the research in this field. The art of the Japanese print master Shin Taga

Shin Taga is a Japanese artist recognized for his engravings in which we can find all the characteristics that define the ero guro nansensu , an artistic and cultural movement that flourished in Japan during the 1920s..

has already become the subject of a profound article at the Shunga Gallery. One of our writers, Alexandre Rodrigues da Costa, examined some unusual works of this extraordinary artist not so long ago. This time, we'll add some observations on his Fish series, but the main focus will be the erotic bookplates popular among collectors and devotees of the ex-libris genre.

Shin Taga, solo exhibition in Bunkyo

Fig. 1. Shin Taga, solo exhibition in Bunkyo, 2018 (hombetu.exblog.jp)

shin taga Sphinx, copperplate engraving No.13, Fish series

Fig. 2. Sphinx, copperplate engraving No.13, Fish series (yartgallery.shop-pro.jp)

Suki / Love, copperplate engraving No.12, Fish series by Shin Taga

Fig. 3. Suki / Love, copperplate engraving No.12, Fish series (yartgallery.shop-pro.jp)

shin taga Eros, copperplate engraving No.20, Fish series

Fig. 4. Eros, copperplate engraving No.20, Fish series (yartgallery.shop-pro.jp)

Magritte The Collective Invention

Fig. 5. Magritte

With the possible exception of the radical, visionary iconoclast Salvador Dali , the Belgian painter René Magritte (1898-1967) is one of the most recognizable and accessible of the Surrealists. The Surrealists..

The Collective Invention, 1934 (renemagritte.org)

Sexually Starved Predators

In his article, Alexandre paid attention to the similarities between Taga's grotesque

We have (finally) obtained this great shunga print that is generally considered to be the most gruesome design within the genre. In this rather complex fold-out piece ( shikake-e ) from Kunisada ‘s acclaimed ‘ Tales..

and the works of some Western artists, such as Hans Bellmer

Both in Western and Eastern cultures, dolls are an important element of human life as we consider ourselves to be ‘homines ludentes’ (lit. Man the Player). In Japanese tradition, we can find a term iki..

and Harry Clarke. Examining the Fish series by Taga, we must also mention Magritte, namely, The Collective Invention (fig. 5). His mermaid's appearance is similar to that of the fish-women by the printmaker. Yet while the character of the Belgian surrealist is obviously helpless, which is emphasized by its out-of-water state, the creatures of Taga are (sexually) starved predators (fig. 4).

Stranding, copperplate engraving No.4, Fish series by Shin Taga

Fig. 6. Stranding, copperplate engraving No.4, Fish series (yartgallery.shop-pro.jp)

Shin Taga and the Dutch Masters

Speaking of Shin Taga's art, we can't avoid the strong associations with the Dutch

One of my personal favorite themes within shunga is that of the depiction of Westerners (maybe because I am a Dutchman myself). The former residents of Japan (in particular those of Nagasaki) including artists could..

masters of the grotesque and absurd, namely, Hieronymus Bosch

Hieronymous Bosch (c.1450- 9 August 1516) is undoubtedly one of the most difficult to interpret masters from around 1500. His work is known as labyrinthine, it has no clear outlines. The boundaries between authentic..

and Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Bosch's adherence to small details is repeated in Taga's mesmerizing copperplates. As worded by Chihiro Yamamoto, "The more you look at the copperplate images by Shin Taga, the more you discover new things, and the more you get the illusion that the images, which are supposed to be static, start to move" (shunyodo.co.jp).

Dream, copperplate engraving No.11, Fish series Shin Taga

Fig. 7. Dream, copperplate engraving No.11, Fish series (yartgallery.shop-pro.jp)

The Temptation of St. Anthony, Bosch

Fig. 8. The Temptation of St. Anthony, c. 1501, the left panel (arts-dnevnik.ru)

The Spirit of Bosch

The fish theme itself, which would make Taga a perfect illustrator for Lovecraftian Shadow

At an auction I came across this rare and fascinating scroll with ink paintings that was produced in the late 19th century. The hand-painted color ink paintings are depicted with light ink, and the expressions and..

Over Innsmouth, is shown from the perspective of medieval "surrealism

The self-taught Dutch artist Hans Kanters (1947) has been drawing ever since he was a child. The paint box he got from his father opened new perspectives, and after that drawing became second nature to him. His urge..

." Fishes flying in the air (fig. 7) make us remember those from the upper parts of Bosch's triptych The Temptation of St. Anthony, c. 1501 (fig. 8). Scholars believe the motif symbolizes the absurdity of sin. This explanation, though simple, makes sense especially nowadays when you feel trapped inside the canvas of Bosch after reading the news.

Prey I, copperplate engraving No.7, Fish series by Shin Taga

Fig. 9. Prey I, copperplate engraving No.7, Fish series (yartgallery.shop-pro.jp)

In the extensive Premium edition of the article you can discover more about the eating process in Taga's work, the depictions of humans (mainly females) devoured by sea monsters, his love for cats and books, favorite visual motif, references to Greek and Roman mythology, and 58 striking images.

Click HERE for the eroticism and the grotesque in Shin Taga's engravings

Sources: auctions.yahoo.co.jp; Wikipedia.org; artandobject.com