James Carman “The Grasshopper Lies Heavy: A Remembrance of Hiroshima 70 Years On”
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The Grasshopper Lies Heavy: A Remembrance of Hiroshima 70 Years On, in conjunction with curated events, commemorates the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
During the opening reception, there will be a Butoh dance installation and lectures starting at 7:30pm. Featured speakers will include Audrey Kitagawa, President of the Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family, Alan Steinfeld, founder of New Realities, and Richard Dolan, a historian featured on The History Channel.
As World War II drew to a close, Harry Truman warned Japan: “If they do not now accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth.” On August 6th, 1945, this statement was actualized when the United States dropped an atomic bomb named Little Boy on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. On August 9th, 1945, US forces dropped a second bomb called Fat Man on the city of Nagasaki. In the ensuing months over 200,000 people died.
Were the attacks a necessary evil or a crime against humanity? If we continue to divide the world into us and them, we perpetuate cycles of war and ruin. Is it not time to count all of humanity as brothers and sisters to whom we are responsible, even during times of war? By meeting our so-called enemies with compassion, we move forward towards a peaceful future.
In these works, Butoh master Katusura Kan is seen in white, representing Japan. The Men in Black – secret agents working for government intelligence - embody the Allied Forces and the birth of the Nation Security State. The photographs recreate the atmosphere of racism and enmity that existed between these two cultures. Thankfully these nations have found the goodwill to live in peace again.
Japanese avant-garde Butoh dance emerged in the 1950’s as a reaction to the horrific devastation of World War II. Carman was influenced by Butoh cofounder, Ohno Kazuo, who hungered for new forms of artistic expression. Kazuo stated that traditional art forms, such as Kabuki Theater, were not relevant in tumultuous post war Japan. Japanese war culture had failed. It was time to create something new.
James Carman is an accomplished New York based creative producer and director. He also works as a cinematographer and photographer. His feature length documentary, The Hidden Hand; Alien Contact and the Government Cover-up, has won many awards and is distributed internationally. His work has been shown in festivals and theaters around the globe (Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto film festivals and the MOMA in New York). James is a member of the Producer’s Guild and is currently producing a TV series entitled Superconscious.
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Schedule
from August 06, 2015 to September 11, 2015
Gallery Hours: Saturdays 1 - 6 pm.
Opening Reception on 2015-08-06 from 18:00 to 21:00