Leonie (Christina Hendricks film)
Wow, I'm slow but I've just figured out that Christina Hendricks' new movie, Leonie, is about Leonie Gilmore, the American writer and translator who was the mother of Isamu Noguchi, a sculptor whose work and life I greatly admire. Leonie was the lover (and translator) of Japanese poet, Yone Noguchi, a contemporary and influence on Yeats, Pound, Thomas Hardy and many other American and British writers. (More under the cut)
Their son, Isamu Noguchi, is one of the first well known "hapa" people, though they didn't have that name at the time of course. He lived much of his life in Japan, and some in the U.S. and some of my friends remember him from his days in the Poston Internment camp during World War II. His sets for Aaron Copeland's Appalachian Spring (danced by Martha Graham and her company), his stone sculpture (see above for a famous example in Seattle), his iconic furniture and light sculpture design and his playground architecture is just some of the work for which he is known. I once visited the garden museum that houses much of his work in his former studio in Long Island City and recommend it to anyone interested in stone sculpture or in that extraordinary era. Some of his design items were in that fabulous Surrealism exhibit in the Victoria and Albert Museum a couple of years ago. I lust after this table.
But maybe I could afford this teacup.
Christina plays Leonie's friend Catherine and I'll have to dig out my Isamu biography (written by Masayo Duus) to find out more about her. I can't wait to see her in the period clothing in this film. Here's a photo of Isamu with some of his work, licensed copies of which are still popular design items today.
Their son, Isamu Noguchi, is one of the first well known "hapa" people, though they didn't have that name at the time of course. He lived much of his life in Japan, and some in the U.S. and some of my friends remember him from his days in the Poston Internment camp during World War II. His sets for Aaron Copeland's Appalachian Spring (danced by Martha Graham and her company), his stone sculpture (see above for a famous example in Seattle), his iconic furniture and light sculpture design and his playground architecture is just some of the work for which he is known. I once visited the garden museum that houses much of his work in his former studio in Long Island City and recommend it to anyone interested in stone sculpture or in that extraordinary era. Some of his design items were in that fabulous Surrealism exhibit in the Victoria and Albert Museum a couple of years ago. I lust after this table.
But maybe I could afford this teacup.
Christina plays Leonie's friend Catherine and I'll have to dig out my Isamu biography (written by Masayo Duus) to find out more about her. I can't wait to see her in the period clothing in this film. Here's a photo of Isamu with some of his work, licensed copies of which are still popular design items today.