Kathryn Hilliard

Erotic images hold an interesting place in society. In Japan, they tread that line between tantalizing and taboo; however, during the Edo Period (1603 - 1868), erotic images were much more commonplace.

These images were known as shunga meaning “spring pictures” or “images of spring,” and while we might view them today more as pornographic material, many of these images were traditionally used in general gift giving and storytelling, often recreating myths and legends. A recurring theme of these images was a “conversation between partners,” referring to two or more sentient beings (sentient having a looser connotation and applying to almost anything related to a human level consciousness even to processes that were not necessarily human) depicted engaging in sexual intercourse and creating a connection. And while traditional shunga fell out of practice towards the end of the Edo period, there has been a renewed interest in recent years, allowing for a resurgence of contemporary shunga.

Conversations with Partners: An Examination of Shunga, examines one of these contemporary artists, Makiko Sugawa and her woodblock print Harugomori (2021). In her work, Sugawa substitutes the partner for the harugomori (which means smartphone). The smartphone then takes on the role of both partner and connection, displacing the idea of “conversation between partners” into a singular vessel.

Sugawa creates an image that is both very reminiscent of Edo Period shunga and something entirely new, all by replacing one thing: a traditional partner. This change opens up a new dialogue, allowing us to speculate how technology might affect our intimate relationships. In summary, the main goal of this research project is, first, to redefine what a partner entails through Sugawa’s version of shunga, and second, to understand what connection might mean in this technological age.