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The Art Of Jeffrey Dale Starr
Jeff paints the things he loves, so there are many works portraying San Francisco, Europe, Japan and dream-like imagery in the style of Impressionism.
He has been oil painting since his youth, and as a child was influenced by the work of Vincent Van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock. Jeff Starr was fortunate to have been raised by parents with an appreciation for art, who exposed him to great works in museums across the country, including the Smithsonian.
Inspirations
Japan
Japan - Inspiration of American oil painter Jeff Starr. My first introduction to Japan was, as far as I can recall, watching "Speed Racer" and Godzilla movies on TV. Needless to say, those are not accurate representations of one of the most elegant and dignified cultures on Earth.
When I entered my teen years I started to become a serious fan of film. Not just "movies", but the kind of fare that really qualified as Cinematic Art. While I was being educated on the likes of Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, and Federico Fellini, I one day happened to watch a little movie called "Seven Samurai". Akira Kurosawa became a great ambassador of Japan to me, and most of what I learned in a positive way came from his films: "Rashoman", "Ikiru", "Throne Of Blood", "Yojimbo", "The Hidden Fortress"...all beautiful and powerful.
Over the years I watched more and more classic Japanese films (especially the "Zatoichi" series starring Katsu Shintaro). My friend Brian, who introduced me to "Zatoichi", talked me into watching an anime that was being broadcast on Public Television called "Urusei Yatsura". I was hooked. The only other anime I had seen (besides "Speed Racer") was a horribly Americanized version of the classic series "Gatchaman" (broadcast in the US as "Battle Of The Planets").
A friend of mine, Aki Yamakawa, stayed with my wife and me for a year or so, and he furthered my education in Japanese culture. In fact, this is when I began to learn to speak Japanese. Shortly afterward, we made our first trip to Japan and fell completely in love with the people and culture. We've been back 3 times since, and are already planning our next trip. And our next trip. And our next trip...
When I entered my teen years I started to become a serious fan of film. Not just "movies", but the kind of fare that really qualified as Cinematic Art. While I was being educated on the likes of Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, and Federico Fellini, I one day happened to watch a little movie called "Seven Samurai". Akira Kurosawa became a great ambassador of Japan to me, and most of what I learned in a positive way came from his films: "Rashoman", "Ikiru", "Throne Of Blood", "Yojimbo", "The Hidden Fortress"...all beautiful and powerful.
Over the years I watched more and more classic Japanese films (especially the "Zatoichi" series starring Katsu Shintaro). My friend Brian, who introduced me to "Zatoichi", talked me into watching an anime that was being broadcast on Public Television called "Urusei Yatsura". I was hooked. The only other anime I had seen (besides "Speed Racer") was a horribly Americanized version of the classic series "Gatchaman" (broadcast in the US as "Battle Of The Planets").
A friend of mine, Aki Yamakawa, stayed with my wife and me for a year or so, and he furthered my education in Japanese culture. In fact, this is when I began to learn to speak Japanese. Shortly afterward, we made our first trip to Japan and fell completely in love with the people and culture. We've been back 3 times since, and are already planning our next trip. And our next trip. And our next trip...
Japan is a country of over three thousand islands extending along the Pacific coast of Asia. The main islands, running from north to south, are Hokkaido, Honshu (the main island), Shikoku and Kyushu. The Ryukyu Islands, including Okinawa, are a chain of islands south of Kyushu. Together they are often known as the Japanese Archipelago.
About 70% to 80% of the country is forested, mountainous, and unsuitable for agricultural, industrial, or residential use. This is because of the generally steep elevations, climate and risk of landslides caused by earthquakes, soft ground and heavy rain. This has resulted in an extremely high population density in the habitable zones that are mainly located in coastal areas. Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.
Japan's feudal era was characterized by the emergence of a ruling class of warriors, the samurai. In 1185, following the defeat of the rival Taira clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo was appointed Shogun and established a base of power in Kamakura. After Yoritomo's death, the Hojo clan came to rule as regents for the shoguns. The Kamakura shogunate managed to repel Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281, aided by a storm that the Japanese interpreted as a kamikaze, or Divine Wind. The Kamakura shogunate was eventually overthrown by Emperor Go-Daigo, who was soon himself defeated by Ashikaga Takauji in 1336. The succeeding Ashikaga shogunate failed to control the feudal warlords (daimyo), and a civil war erupted (the Onin War) in 1467 which opened a century-long Sengoku period.
