This artwork evolved from an art exchange between two cultures. The three photographers and one painter in the exhibit were invited to exhibit with Japanese artists, in April 2006, as part of a cultural exchange between Berkeley, California and Sakai, Japan.
In Japan the artists met the Japanese artists, visited their studios, participated in the exhibit, and became acquainted with life in the large urban area around Osaka. Before and afterwards, they pursued their interests separately in other parts of Japan, performing “individual scans.” They returned home rich with new material and experiences.
In Scanning Japan the artists reveal their experience of Japan. To scan means to look closely and to analyze as well as to glance quickly and thoroughly—all visual methods employed on their journeys. The visual relationship of work in the exhibit gives an overlapping and vibrant impression of the physical and cultural landscape they encountered. The work reflects an American spirit of discovery rather than Japanese style or any defined aesthetic.