Closure as Perception and Interpretation: Ikeda Manabu's Negative Space Through Comics Studies
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Date
2021-09-13
Authors
Newell, Christin
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Ikeda Manabu (b. 1973) creates monumental images that emerge from an aggregate of unrelated miniature motifs. These small motifs are made from an accumulation of short, colorful lines drawn on paper canvases. Taking Buddha and Regeneration as case studies, this thesis investigates Ikeda’s effective use of the paper surfaces between his lines, focusing on the “silhouetted figures,” which are the undrawn spaces in the shapes of people and creatures. I employ the analytical frameworks of Comics Studies proposed by Will Eisner and Scott McCloud, such as non-frames, bleeds, and closure, to argue how Ikeda’s negative spaces create room for perception and interpretation for the viewers, like the paper surface between the comic panels (the gutter). This thesis helps us understand the post-Murakami Takashi (b. 1962) generation of Japanese artists and how their mode of production reemphasizes the use of one’s hands and impacts the audience’s engagement with their works.
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Keywords
Comic, Ikeda Manabu, Interpretation, Japanese Contemporary Art, Negative Space, Perception