Projecting Shunga - STEVEN R. TABOR

Projecting Shunga

What happens when cultures connect?

In this series, a set of images of Japanese Shunga prints were projected onto a model, Nicky. Shunga, literally “spring pictures”, was an artistic tradition that emerged from early modern Japan, featuring graphic images of erotic activity.Shunga were made through ink paintings or woodblock prints, which were applied to handscrolls and to mass-produced illustrated texts.While shunga is known for nudity, there are less racy examples, featuring courtesans dressed in elaborate garb or kissing couples wrapped in lavish textiles. Shunga served as a testament to an uninhibited, open-minded society and offered artists with opportunities to express originality and unbridled emotion. Projected onto Nicky, these ancient Shunga are transformed into a second skin, shimmering with the hint of a fresh spring day.

If you'd like to see the full series, download the PDF catalog here.