Stanton Macdonald-Wright & Arte Japonese ----------------------------------------- Autor: Tom Croft Autor: Create: 2003-06-09, 2003-06-10 Modificate: 2003-06-30 0 Abstracte Stanton Macdonald-Wright (1890--1973) sera un artista, specificamente un pictor. Ille sera nascite in Virginia, Statos Unite de America. Ille studiava in Paris, France, ubi ille incontrava tal famose artistas como Picasso, Matisse e Cèzanne. A iste tempore, ille incontrava un altere artista Statos Unitese, Morgan Russel, e illes inventava `Syncronismo', un movimento de arte que vole crear emotion con color. In 1915, durante le Prime Guerra Mundial, ille lassava le mundo de arte Parisian por le nova mundo de arte Neoyorkese, e postea pro California del Sud, a que ille portava le `evangelio' de arte moderne, e establiva le prime exposition de arte moderne in Los Angeles. Ille sera un del prime artistas occidental a devenir interessate in Zen e le arte e cultura Oriental. In su annos depost, plus e plus frequentemente ille visitava Japon. Ille relinquiva su stilo abstracte, e habeva un periodo de picturas figurative, inspirate per (e usante) formas e colors Japonese. In le annos final de su vita, ille retornava a Synchronismo, mais su colores sera plus clemente, tranquille e contemplative; multo inspirate per le arte e philosophia Japonese. 0 Abstract Stanton Macdonald Wright (1890--1973) was an artist, specifically a painter. He was born in Virginia, USA. He studied in Paris, where he encountered such famous artists as Picasso, Matisse and Cèzanne. At this time, he met another US artists, Morgan Russel, and they invented `Synchronism', an art movement which wants to create emotion with colour. In 1915, during WW1, he left the Parisian art world for the new New York art world, and after for southern California, to which he brought the `gospel' of modern art, and established the first exposition of modern art in Los Angeles. He was one of the first occidental (western) artists to become interested in Zen and oriental art and culture. In his later years, more and more frequently he visited Japan. He relinquished his abstract style, and had a period of figurative pictures, inspired by (and using) Japanese forms and colours. In the final years of his life, he returned to Synchronism, but his colours were more clement, tranquil and contemplative; much inspired by the Japanese art and philosophy. 1 Anterior Influentias e Europa (1890--1912) Stanton Macdonald Wright nasceva in 1890, in Chalottesville, Virginia, SUA. Su patre sera un pictor amateur, e incoragiava interresses artistic del Stanton juvene. Quando Stanton habeva 10 annos, le familia movava a Santa Monica, California. Resistente le pression de su familia, por aspirar a un carriera in medicina, Stanton essayava (infructosemente) escapar a Japon, e (fructosemente) studiar Arte in Los Angeles. In 1907, con dece-septe (17) annos e maritate (le anno passate) a un femina ric con vinti-duo (27) annos, ille viagiate a Paris, por gauder del vita bohemian del artista avant-garde (ben que sin le povressa usualmente associate). Ille dice plus tarde `Io me senti a casa in traditiones Europee porque, [...] Io [habeva] habite parlar Français jammais a cena e Español a prandio, assi io sera basicamente trilingual como un infante'. Ille anque studiava a varie institutiones de Arte, includente le Sorbonne, a que ille incontrava Henri Focillion, qui le introduceva al arte e philosophia oriental. "Io deveniva interessate in arte oriental per probabilemente le plus magne esthetico con qui io studiava al Sorbonne, in Paris, quando io sera un homine multo juvene per illac. Su nomine sera Focillion. Ille es le homine qui es recognoscite, probabilemente in tote le mundo, como le plus magne esthetico del epocha moderne; ille es un typo multo dulce. E ille me diceva un die `Io sape nihil de arte oriental, ma io crede que illo ha multe importantia'." --- Stanton, parlante in 1964 On debe notar que 1907 es le anno in que Picasso pingeva `Les Damoiselles d'Avignon', le pictura considerate significar le nascentia de arte moderne. Stanton colligeva arte, includente obras de Cèzanne, per qui ille sera (como tote le altres, on debe notar) multo influentiava. "Tote le picturas moderne que ha essite, del tempore de Cèzanne, sera influentiava per Cèzanne. Cèzanne sera un grande fonte, de que multes de illes pueros [= homines como Othon Friesz] prenderea un cuppa; mais le fonte sera ja illac, effundente. E sin Cèzanne il non haberea alcun disvelloppamento de pingente moderne." --- Stanton, parlante in 1964 In 1911, ille visitava London, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Antwerp and Brussels. Ille incontrava Morgan Russel, un altre Statos Unitese expatriato. Russel le conduceva al atelier de Percyval Tudor-Harte, un English theorista de color e pictor (e, secundo Stanton, perfectemente absolutemente folle). Ambes del duo studiava e laborava con Tudor-Harte, e profundamente studiava theoria de colores. Stanton e Russel assisteva al varie soirées of Gertrude and Leo Stein, a que Stanton incontrava Picasso, Rodin, e Matisse. Ille anque cognosceva Man Ray e multe altre ora-famose artistas in Paris a iste tempore. In 1912, quando Vorticismo sera actual in Anglaterra, e Cubismo habeva su phase le plus productive, Stanton e Russel fundava Synchronismo, un nove ramo abstracte de Cubismo que considerava color esser le materia prime de arte. Illo resimila proximemente le Orphismo practicava per Robert Delauney al mesme tempore. Il pare que iste ha essite notate antea, e Stanton reproba: "Illo non ha ulle relation con Orphismo e alcuno qui ha legite le prime calalogo de Synchronismo del exposition Bernheim Jeune de 1913, o del exposition Nue Kunst Salon in Munich del mesme anno comprenderea que nos nos rideva de Orphismo e de Delauney in despecto del facto que Delauney sera un de mi amicos intime. [...] Le ration de nos esser assimilate a illo [Orphismo] es porque nos sera le prime personas distaccar se del genre monochromatic de obra que sera facite per Cubismo a ille tempore." [ille avantia al similaritates] "Ambes de illes [Synchronismo e Orphismo] sera color. Delauney habeva un senso del color plus delicate, senso de color plus incantante. Delauney probabilemente sera exactemente al centro del tradition Français de su plus magnific qualitate decorative, justo como Braque sera plus tarde." --- Stanton, parlante in 1964 Como Kandinsky, Vorticismo e altre contemporanee alora artistas e movimentos abstracte, Synchronismo se explicava per analogia con musica. Picturas Synchonista sera appellate `Synchronias', un parola que proximemente resimila `Symphonias'. "Iste duo artistas credeva que color habeva equivalentes de sono, e le parola synchronia significa `con color' como symphonia significa `con sono'. Illes credeva que per pingente in scalas de color in le mesme maniera que on compone con scalas musical, on pote crear picturas que evocarea sentimentos musical in le spectator. Europeos al tempore sapeva super iste theorias e sera agitate super illos." --- Will South, Curator, `Color, Mytho, e Musica: Stanton Macdonald-Wright e Synchromismo' 1 Earlier Influences and Europe (1890--1912) Stanton Macdonald-Wright was born 1890, in Chalottesville, Virginia, USA. His father was an amateur painter, and encouraged the young Stanton's interest in art. When Stanton was 10 years old, the family moved to Santa Monica, California. Resisting his family's pressure to aim for a career in medicine, Stanton attempted (unsuccessfully) to run away to Japan, and (successfully) to study Art in Los Angeles. In 1907, aged seventeen and married (last year) to a well-off woman of 27 years, he went to Paris, to enjoy the bohemian life of the avant garde artist (though without the usually associated poverty). He later says `I felt at home in European traditions because, [...] I [had] had to speak French always at dinner and Spanish at lunch, so I was really trilingual as a kid'. He also studied at various art institutions, including the Sorbonne, where he met Henri Focillion, who introduced him to oriental art and philosophy. "I became interested in Oriental art through probably the greatest aesthetician with whom I studied at the Sorbonne, in Paris, when I was a very young man over there. His name was Focillon. He is the man who is recognized, I guess all over the world, as being the greatest aesthetician of modern times; he is a very sweet fellow. And he said to me one day, `I know nothing about Oriental art, but I think there is a great deal in it'." --- Stanton, speaking in 1964 It is worth noting that 1907 is the year Picasso painted `Les Damoiselles d'Avignon', the painting considered to signify the birth of modern art. Stanton collected art, including works by Cèzanne, by whom he was (like everyone else, it must be said) heavily influenced. "Every modern painting that existed, from the time of Cèzanne, was influenced by Cèzanne. Cèzanne was a great spring, out of which many of those boys [= men like Othon Friesz] would take a cupful; but the spring was still there, gushing. And without Cèzanne there never would have been any devolvement of modern painting." --- Stanton, speaking in 1964 In 1911, he visited London, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Dordrecht, Antwerp and Brussels. He met Morgan Russel, another US expatriate. Russel took him to the atelier of Percyval Tudor-Harte, an English colour-theorist and painter (and, acording to Stanton `perfectly stark-raving mad'). The two studied and worked with Tudor-Harte, and studied colour-theory profoundly. Stanton and Russel attended the various soirées of Gertrude and Leo Stein, where Stanton met Picasso, Rodin, and Matisse. He also knew Man Ray and many other now-famous artists in Paris at that time. In 1912, when Vorticism was coming of age in England, and Cubism was in its most productive phase, Stanton and Russel founded Synchronism, an abstract offshoot of cubism that considered colour to be the raw material of art. It closely resembles the Orphism practiced by Robert Delauney at the same time. This seems to have been pointed out before, and Stanton rebukes: "It has nothing to do with Orphism and anybody who has read the first catalogue of Synchromism of the Bernheim Jeune exhibition of 1913, or of the Nue Kunst Salon Exhibition in Munich of the same year would realize that we poked fun at Orphism and at Delaunay in spite of the fact the Delaunay was a good friend of mine. [...] The reason we were likened to it [Orphism] is because we were the first people to break away from the monochromatic type of work that was done by Cubism at that time. [he moves on to the similarities] They [Synchronism and Orphism] were both color. Delaunay had a very delicate sense of color, a very charming sense of color. Delaunay was probably right in the French tradition of its most magnificent decorative quality, just as Braque was afterward." --- Stanton, speaking in 1964 Like Kandinsky, Vorticism, and other then-contemporary abstract artists and movements, Synchomism explained itself in terms of music. Synchronist paintings were called `Synchronies', a word which closely resembles `Symphonies'. "These two artists believed that color had sound equivalents, and the word synchrony means `with color' the way symphony means `with sound'. They believed that by painting in color scales in the same way that one composes with musical scales, you could create paintings that would evoke in the viewer musical sensations. Europeans at that time knew about these theories and were riled up [= excited] about them." --- Will South, Curator, `Color, Myth, and Music: Stanton Macdonald-Wright and Synchromism' 2 Le Epoca del Guerra (1913--1918) "Per liberante nos de certe restrictiones previe e vadente harditemente a in le incognoscite, nos habeva habite le habilitate de luctar de natura su secret por ducer pictura a su puncto le plus alte de intensitate." --- Stanton Macdonald-Wright & Morgan Russel In 1913, Stanton e Russel habeva duo expositiones duple, le un in Munich, e le altre in Paris. Alora, le duo les movava a Neo York, e Stanton seperava de su sposa. Le anno depost, 1914, illes habeva un nova exposition in commun in Neo York. In su introduction in le catalogo del exposition, illes scribite: "Ultra de solvente le problema del natura inherente de colores in su relation a forma, nos nos ha applicate a un studio proxime del relationes harmoniose de iste colores de un al altres. E, como un resulto del incorporation de iste colores a in forma-gamut, illos transmitta le notion de tempore in pictura. Illes da le illusion que le canvas se disveloppa como musica, in tempore, e ambes del picturas vetule e moderne existe strictemente in spatio. Con un reguardo illos pote esser sentite in su integremento" Alora illes retornava a Paris, e alora a London a causa del guerra. Illes demora con le fratre senior de Stanton, Willard Huntington-Wright. In 1915, Stanton e Willard scribe junctamente un libro, `Arte Moderne: Su Tendantia e Signification'. Alora illes retorna a Neo York, SUA, e ambes del fratres adjuta organisar un exposition gruppo ambitiose mais disappunctante: `Le Exposition Foro de Pictores American Moderne'. Stanton faceva alcun labor de inseniante, e habeva un exposition solo in 1917, ben que poco vendite. In 1918, ille sortiva de Neo York, e retornava a casa a Los Angeles, California. 2 The War Period (1913--1918) "In freeing ourselves from certain previous restraints and stepping boldly into the unknown, we have been able to wrest from nature its secret in order to bring painting to its highest point of intensity." --- Stanton Macdonald-Wright & Morgan Russel In 1913, Stanton and Russel held two two-man expositions, one in Munich, the other in Paris. The pair then moved to New York, and Stanton seperated from his wife. The next year, 1914, they shared another exposition in New York. In their introduction in the exhibition catalogue, they wrote: "Besides solving the problem of the inherent nature of colors in their relation to form, we have applied ourselves to a close study of the harmonious relation of these colors to one another. And, as a result of the incorporation of these colors into gamut-form, they convey the notion of time in painting. They give the illusion that the canvas develops like music, in time, while both the old and modern paintings exist strictly in space. With one glance they can be felt in their entirety." They then moved back to Paris, and on to London due to the war. They stay with Stanton's older brother, Willard Huntington-Wright. In 1915 Stanton and Willard co-author and publish a book, `Modern Art: Its Tendancy and Meaning'. They then move to New York, USA, and the brothers both help to organise an ambitious but disappointing group exposition: `The Forum Exhibition of Modern American Painters'. Stanton did some teaching work, and had a solo exhibition in 1917, although little sold. In 1918, he left New York, and moved back home to Los Angeles, California. 3 Portante le Evangelio de Arte Moderne a California 1: California care modernismo; 2: Stanton porta ille Testamento de Sancte Pablo; 3--6: Gruppos esse formate et Synchronismo codificate. California, e le resto del costa occidental del SUA, sera virtualmente totalmente innocente de arte moderne in 1918. Impressionismo ja sera considerate esser quasi radical. In 1920, Stanton commenciava experimentar con film. Ille creava un film le longe metrage, mais illo sera destruite in un foco. In le anno mesme, ille organisava le prime exposition de arte moderne al `Le Los Angeles Museo de Historia, Scientia e Arte, Exposition Parco', titulate `Exposition de Picturas per Modernistas American'. Ille anque dava plure lectiones illac, sur le topico de arte moderne. In 1923 ille commenciava inseniar al `Los Angeles Liga de Studentes de Arte', a que ille habeva studiate previemente ante de movante se a Paris. Tosto, ille prendeva le position de director, e tene le posto por dece (10) annos. Ille anque organisava le `Prime Exposition del Gruppo de Artistas Independante de Los Angeles'; le Gruppo de Artistas Independante de Los Angeles deveniva un gruppo artistic importante in le region. In 1924 ille scribeva `Un Tractato sur Color', summarisante le methodo Synchronista. Iste es probabilemente su plus importante obra literari. "Io ha justo publicava un libro sur color, 60 copias con graphicos de spectros facite per mano, que io spera vender a US$ 10 le pecia. Iste es in le manos de Deo." --- Stanton in a letter to Morgan Russel Le anno depost, 1925, ille organisava le `Obreros de Arte Moderne'. Iste deveniva un altre collective importante de artistas in California. Ille anque organisava varie expositiones de arte moderne in le annos depost. 3 Taking the Gospel of Modern Art to California (1920--1925) 1: California lacketh modernism; 2: Stanton bringeth the Testament of St. Pablo; 3--6: Groups are formed and Synchronism codified. California, and the rest of the USA's occidental coast, was virtually untouched by modern art in 1918. Impressionism was still considered to be pretty radical. In 1920, Stanton began to experiment with film. He created a full-length feature film, but it was destroyed in a fire. In the same year, he organised the first modern art exposition at `The Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art, Exposition Park', entitled `Exhibition of Paintings by American Modernists'. He also gave several lectures there, on modern art. In 1923 he began teaching at the `Los Angeles Art Students League', where he had previously studied before moving to Paris. He soon took over as director, and held the post for ten years. He also organised the `First Exhibition of the Group of Independant Artists of Los Angeles'; the Group of Independant Artists of Los Angeles became an important artistic group in the area. In 1924 he wrote `A Treatise on Color', summarising the Synchronist method. This is probably his most important literary work. "I have just gotten out a book on color, 60 copies with handmade charts of spectrums, which I hope to sell at $10 each. This is in the hands of God" --- Stanton in a letter to Morgan Russel The next year, 1925, he organised the `Modern Art Workers'. This became another important artist collective in California. He also organised various exhibitions of modern art in the following years. 4 Disveloppamento de Influentias Japonese In 1927, le Museo de Los Angeles regalava `Synchronismo', un exposition de obras Synchronista. Anque, Stanton scribeva e dirigeva theatro Synchronista in Santa Monica, usante un apparato ille inventava por projecta color. Ambes de ille e Russel habeva essite interresate in facente un machina de lumine kinetic post que illes sera in Paris; iste sera un importante prime essayo (le project sera realisate finalmente e in plen magnitude in 1959). Durante le 1930s, ille creava un cyclo importante de picturas mural por le Biblioteca Public de Santa Monica, monstrante arte, scientia, e pensatores magne de tote partes del mundo e del tempore. Ille sera anque implicate in un numero de expositiones in Neo York e California, e ille deveniva le prime supervisor del districto, e plus tarde del stato, por un organisation Statos Unitese governamental connexe con arte (`Projecto de Artes Federal/ Projecto Obras Administration'). Plure vices ille refere a iste projecto como `Regressante arte per 150 annos' in le region. Ille anque dice: "Mi labor sur illo cosa in le plus parte sera parlante a iste politicos e le gente qui sera chefes de industrias por incoragiar illes dar dece percento del costo de eriger alcun statuas o picturas que illes non besonia e non vole haber, e io debeva ir ci e illac e intimidar illes e alora io habeva --- a un vice io habeva cinque illac qui sera scribente litteras ci e illac tote de que sera de nulle importantia possibile o le un via o le altre." --- Stanton, parlante in 1964 Anque, in 1933, ille scribeva `Un Base de Cultura', un studia de arte in tote le mundo (non publicate). In 1939 ille sera in un Monasterio Zen por le anno. In le 1940s, ille habeva plure expositiones major, e comenciava instruer arte oriental e contemporanee a UCLA (le Universitate de California a Los Angeles). In 1951, su sposa mortite. In 1952, ille re-maritava, e anque viagiate a Tokyo por studiar Chinese e Japonese pictura e sculptura, e anque por instruer in Tokyo, como un Professor de Fulbright. Ille resignava de UCLA in 1954 a causa que mal sanitate. In 1956 il habeva un retrospective major del obras de Stanton. Ille dice al tempore: "Primarimente io videva mi nove pingente con un certe stupefaction, proque io habeva facite un grande circulo, veniente post 35 annos a un arte que sera, superficialemente, non dispare al canevases de mi juventude. Totevia, in le fundo il habeva un differentia grande. Io habeva complite un realismo interior... Iste es un senso de realitate que non pote esser vidite, mais es evidente per sentimento." Post decades de essayos e fallimentos, in 1959 Stanton faceva le prime version del Synchrome Kineidoscopo, le machine de lumine super que ille e Russel habeva essite theorisante post que 1913. Willard, le fratre de Stanton, scribeva un libro super le machina teoretic titulava `Le Futuro de Pingente' (le copia que Stanton ha es datava 1923; ille dice que illo debe esser un reimprimer e ille pensa que illo sera scribite in 1915). Circa 1960, Stanton sera date un domo in le monasterio in que ille viveva in 1939. Iste suggere que ille sera venerate ben in Japon a iste tempore. Ille commenciava viver illac in le monasterio por le plus parte de su tempore. De ille tempore tote de su pingente sera facite in Japon. "Nos vive in un monasterio (mi sposa es le sol femina illes jammais permitte sur le terreno); le domo in que nos vive ha le mesme dimensiones, al medie metro, como iste casa in que tu es ora. [...] illo es orientate in exactemente le mesme direction; e illo es dividite in exactemente le mesme maniera como al cameras. Coincidentia estranie, e ille coincidentia es le cosa que me da le domo. Quando le episcopo chef discoperite iste, e varie altre coincidentias extraordinari, ille deveniva convincite que io habeva vivite illac in tempores passate. [Intervistator interrumpe] Assi ille ma dava le domo por le duration de mi vita. [...] Illo [le monasterio] es le fundamento original de Zen in Japon; le original. Illo sera fundava per Eisai. E iste anno [...] marca le anniversario de 750 annos del morte de Eisai Zeshi. E le tumba de Eisai es intra le distantia de jectante de mi studio: io significa que io pote attinger trans a illo con un canna de pisca. Illo es ubi io vive." In 1962 ille suffreva un attacco cardiac, mais recouperava. In 1964--1965 ille laborate con Cliff Karhu in Tokyo sur un serie de vinti (20) imprimationes de bloccas de ligno in color titulate `Haiga'. In 1964, ille sera intervistava per un femina appellate Betty Hoag. Ille parla super su vita e le mundo de arte, super influentias Japonese e Europee, e varie personas. Ille dice multo super le varie murales etc. que ille faceva, or sera implicate in, in le region de California. Interessemente, ille assere que su pingente non es influencite per ideas oriental: Betty: "Esque tu senti que il ha alcun influentia oriental in tu pingente?" Stanton: "Non un particulo; absolutemente non! Non le latitude de un culice!" Ille continua, e explica "...illo es integremente qualcosa... io non crede es possibile por le mente occidental... alora, nos lo pote constata assi: io va cita Jung e dice que io pensa que illo es plus periculose por un mente occidental joca con ideas oriental. Io non pensa illo deberea jocate con del tote." Presumabilemente iste es paraphrasante, e non un citation directe. E in plus: "Nostre mentes non functiona como le sues. Alcuno que ha studiava Japonese comprenderea le differentia absolute inter nostre methodo de pensante e illo que le Japonese face." In despecto de iste, su periodo figurative usava formas e colores Japonese, e su plus tarde Synchromies, con titulos tal como `Volo del Papilion' e `Tempore Subjective', ha un sentimento pensative, fluxente e subtil, que es sin dubita connexe con su contacto con philosophia e arte Zen. In alto, ille probabilemente vole dicer que il ha un differentia fundamental inter obras vermente oriental, e su obras. In 1973, ille mortite de un attacco cardiac, con 83 annos. 4 Development of Japanese Influences (1927--1973) In 1927, the Los Angeles Museum hosted `Synchronism', an exposition of Synchronist work. Also, Stanton wrote and directed Synchronist theatre in Santa Monica, using for the purpose a device he invented to project colour. Both he and Russel have been interested in making a kinetic light machine since their Paris days; this is an important first step (the project was finally realised fully in 1959). During the 1930s, he created an important mural cycle for the Santa Monica Public Library, showing art, science, and lots of great thinkers from around the world and throughout time. He was also involved in a number of exhibitions in New York and California, and he became first district supervisor, then later state director for a US governmental art-related organisation (`Federal Arts Project/ Works Project Administration'). He repeatedly refers to this project as `setting art back 150 years' in the area. He also says: "My job on that thing was mostly talking to these politicians and the people who were heads of industries to get them to give ten percent of putting up some statues or pictures that they didn't need and didn't want, and I had to go around and browbeat them and then I had --- at one time I had five secretaries there that were writing letters here and there all of which was of no possible importance one way or the other." --- Stanton, speaking in 1964 Also, in 1933, he wrote `A Basis of Culture', a survey of worldwide art (unpublished). He spent 1939 in a Zen Monastry. In the 1940s, he had many major exhibitions, and began teaching oriental and contemporary art at UCLA (the University of California at Los Angeles). In 1951, his wife died. In 1952, he remarried, and also travelled to Tokyo to study Chinese and Japanese painting and sculpture, and also to do some teaching in Tokyo, as a Fulbright professor. He resigned from UCLA in 1954 due to ill health. In 1956 there was a major retrospective of Stanton's work. He says at the time: "At first I saw my new painting with a certain astonishment, for I had made a great circle, coming back after 35 years to an art that was, superficially, not unlike the canvasses of my youth. However, at bottom there was a great difference. I had achieved an interior realism... This is a sense of reality which cannot be seen but which is evident by feeling." After decades of attempts and failures, in 1959 Stanton built the first version of the Synchrome Kineidoscope, the light machine about which he and Russel had been theorising since 1913. Stanton's brother Willard wrote a book about the machine entitled `The Future of Painting' (Stanton's copy is dated 1923, he says it must be a reprint and he thinks it was written in 1915). In about 1960, Stanton was given a house in the Kyoto monastry where he spent 1939. This suggests that he was well-revered in Japan at this time. He began to spend most of his time living there, in the monastry. From that point all of his painting was done in Japan. "We live in a monastery (my wife is the only woman they ever allowed on the grounds); the house that we live in is the same size, to the foot, as this house that you're in now. [...] it's oriented in exactly the same direction; and it's divided in exactly the same way as to rooms. Strange coincidence, and that coincidence is the thing that gave me that house. When the head bishop found out about that thing, and several other extraordinary coincidences, he became convinced that I had lived there in times gone by. [interviewer interrupts] So he handed me that house for the duration of my life. [...] It's [the monastry] the original foundation of Zen in Japan; the original. That was founded by Eisai. And this year [...] marks the 750th anniversary of the death of Eisai Zeshi. And Eisai's tomb is within tossing distance of my studio: I mean I can reach across to it with a fishing pole. That's where I live." --- Stanton, talking in 1964 In 1962 he suffered a heart attack, but recovered. In 1964--1965 he worked with Clif Karhu in Tokyo on a series of 20 colour woodblock prints entitled `Haiga'. In 1964, he was interviewed by a woman named Betty Hoag. He talks about his life and the art world, about Japanese and European influences and various people. He talks a lot about the various murals and things he did, or was involved in, in the California area. Interestingly, he claims that his painting is not influenced by oriental ideas: Betty: "Do you feel there is any Oriental influence in your painting?" Stanton: "Not a particle; absolutely not! Not a hair's breadth!" He goes on to explain: "...it's altogether something... I don't believe it is possible for a Western mind to... Well, let's put it this way: I'll quote Jung and say I think it's very dangerous for a Western mind to monkey with Oriental ideas. I don't think it should be monkeyed-with at all." This is presumably paraphrasing, rather than a direct quote. And further: "Our minds don't work the way theirs do. Anybody who has studied Japanese would realize the utter difference between our method of thinking and what the Japanese do." Despite this, his figurative period used Japanese forms and colours, and his later-life Synchromies, with such titles as `Flight of the Butterfly' and `Subjective Time', have a subtle, flowing, meditative feel to them which is undoubtably related to his contact with Zen philosophy and art. He probably means to say (above) that there is a fundamental difference between true oriental works and his own. In 1973, he died of a heart attack, aged 83.