Assignment- Paper:-107: The 20th Century Literature: From World War II to the End of the Century

The Four Functions of Art in Kazuo Ishiguro's "An Artist of the Floating World"

This blog is an assignment component for Semester 2, Paper No. 107, focused on The 20th Century Literature: From World War II to the End of the Century. Assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad sir from the Department of English, MKBU. 

Personal Details

Name: Smruti Jitubhai Vadher

Batch: M.A. Semester-2 (2024-26) 

Roll No.: 28

Enrollment no.: 5108240034

E-mail address: vadhersmruti@gmail.com

Assignment Details

Paper: 107- The 20th Century Literature: From World War II to the End of the Century

Paper code: 22400

Subject: The Four Functions of Art in Kazuo Ishiguro's "An Artist of the Floating World" 

Date of Submission: 17th April 2025

Submitted to: Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University. 

Abstract

This assignment examines the multifaceted functions of art in Kazuo Ishiguro's 1986 novel "An Artist of the Floating World." Through a critical analysis of protagonist Masuji Ono's artistic journey in post-World War II Japan, this study identifies and explores four distinct yet interconnected dimensions of artistic purpose represented in the narrative: art as a source of aesthetic delight, as a voice for the marginalized, as a commercial enterprise, and as a tool for nationalist propaganda. Each function is analyzed through key character relationships and symbolic artworks that mark Ono's evolving artistic philosophy. Drawing on concepts from art history, Japanese cultural studies, and political theory, this essay argues that Ishiguro's novel presents a nuanced meditation on artistic responsibility, revealing how creative expression inevitably intersects with broader social, economic, and political forces. The analysis demonstrates how Ono's transition from traditional ukiyo-e artist to nationalist propagandist illuminates the complex moral territory artists navigate when their work engages with history and ideology. The study concludes that Ishiguro ultimately portrays art as a powerful social force whose impact transcends the artist's original intentions, inviting readers to consider the ethical dimensions of artistic creation in times of political transformation.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

• Overview of "An Artist of the Floating World"

• Thesis statement on the four functions of art in the novel

• Historical context of post-war Japan

II. Aesthetic Delight: Art as Beauty and Pleasure

• Seiji Moriyama and the ukiyo-e tradition

• The floating world aesthetic philosophy

• Technical mastery and artistic community

• Limitations of art as purely aesthetic pursuit

III. Voice for the Voiceless: Art as Social Critique

• Matsuda's influence and Marxist perspectives

• Ono's social awakening and artistic transformation

• Analysis of works like "Complacency" and "Eyes to the Horizon"

• Tension between aesthetic tradition and social responsibility

IV. Business and Capitalism: Art as Commercial Enterprise

• The Takeda firm and industrialization of artistic production

• Contrast between atelier tradition and commercial art

• Economic pressures and artistic compromise

• Commercialization as modernization in Japanese society

V. Nationalism and Power: Art as Propaganda

• Chishu Matsuda and the patriotic cultural establishment

• Ono's transition from social critique to nationalist art

• Artistic prestige and political power

• Ethical implications of propaganda in wartime Japan

VI. Conclusion: The Moral Complexity of Artistic Purpose

• Interconnection of art's multiple functions

• Ono's post-war reconciliation with his artistic legacy

• Broader implications for understanding art's social impact

• Ishiguro's contribution to discussions of artistic ethics

VII. References

Introduction

Kazuo Ishiguro's 1986 novel "An Artist of the Floating World" presents a profound exploration of artistic purpose and responsibility through the life of its protagonist, Masuji Ono. Set in post-World War II Japan during the American occupation, the novel unfolds through Ono's first-person narration as he reflects on his artistic career against the backdrop of Japan's dramatic socio-political transformation. Through Ono's memories and interactions with family and former colleagues, Ishiguro constructs a nuanced portrait of an artist whose work has traversed multiple dimensions of artistic function.

This assignment examines four distinct yet interconnected functions of art represented in Ishiguro's novel: art as a source of aesthetic delight, as a voice for the marginalized, as a commercial enterprise, and as a tool for nationalist propaganda. By tracing Ono's artistic evolution across these dimensions, the essay argues that Ishiguro presents art as a morally complex endeavor whose significance extends beyond individual expression to engage with broader social, economic, and political forces. The protagonist's journey from traditional ukiyo-e artist to nationalist propagandist illuminates the ethical responsibilities artists face when their work intersects with historical moments of political transformation.

The historical context of post-war Japan provides a critical backdrop for understanding the novel's exploration of artistic function. Following Japan's defeat in World War II, the country underwent profound changes under American occupation, including demilitarization, democratization, and cultural reorientation. Traditional values and institutions were questioned, while those associated with Japan's imperialist past faced particular scrutiny. Against this backdrop of national soul-searching, Ono must come to terms with his own artistic legacy and its relationship to Japan's militaristic period. His reflections reveal how art functions not only as personal expression but as a social practice embedded in specific historical and cultural contexts.

Aesthetic Delight: Art as Beauty and Pleasure

In "An Artist of the Floating World," aesthetic delight represents art's most fundamental function—to create beauty and evoke pleasure in its audience. This dimension is embodied most clearly through the character of Seiji Moriyama (referred to as "Mori-san" in the novel), Ono's first teacher who instructs him in the traditional ukiyo-e style, the "pictures of the floating world."

Moriyama represents a lineage of Japanese artistic tradition dating back to the Edo period (1603-1868), when ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicted scenes from the pleasure districts, theaters, and everyday life. The term "ukiyo" originally carried Buddhist connotations of the transient, sorrowful "floating world" of earthly existence but evolved to celebrate the ephemeral pleasures of urban culture. Through Moriyama's character, Ishiguro explores this tradition's emphasis on capturing fleeting moments of beauty in the entertainment districts of pre-war Japan.

Moriyama's studio operates as an artistic sanctuary dedicated to preserving and advancing this aesthetic tradition. His artistic philosophy prioritizes the transient moments of beauty found in everyday life, particularly in the pleasure quarters. As Ono recalls: "The finest, most fragile beauty an artist can hope to capture drifts within those pleasure houses after dark" (Ishiguro 150). For Moriyama, art's highest purpose lies in its ability to preserve ephemeral beauty, transforming momentary experiences into enduring aesthetic objects.

The novel illustrates aesthetic delight through Moriyama's dedication to mastering technical skills and his commitment to experiencing the floating world firsthand with his students. During their nightly excursions to the pleasure quarters, Moriyama shows his students how to observe keenly, to find beauty in fleeting gestures and momentary expressions. He teaches them that true art stems from capturing what he calls "the floating world"—those transient, ephemeral moments that reveal deeper human truths. His artistic practice emphasizes observation, technique, and the communication of beauty for its own sake.

Moriyama's studio becomes a communal space where artists gather to refine their craft and appreciate beauty collectively, forming what Ono remembers as "a world of fragile beauty" (Ishiguro 149). The atelier represents a tradition stretching back through centuries of Japanese art, where beauty is pursued as an end in itself. This tradition values technical mastery, aesthetic refinement, and the artist's ability to reveal the poignant beauty in life's impermanence—a concept deeply rooted in Japanese aesthetics and the Buddhist notion of impermanence (mono no aware).

However, Ishiguro subtly reveals the limitations of art as purely aesthetic pleasure when Ono grows dissatisfied with what he perceives as Moriyama's narrow artistic vision. As Japan modernizes and faces social upheaval, Ono begins to question whether beautiful depictions of pleasure districts are sufficient in a time of growing inequality and nationalism. The scene where Moriyama burns Ono's socially conscious painting—declaring it a betrayal of the atelier's artistic principles—symbolizes the tension between art as aesthetic pursuit and art as social engagement. The novel suggests that while aesthetic delight represents an important function of art, it may prove insufficient for artists seeking deeper social engagement in times of political transformation.

Voice for the Voiceless: Art as Social Critique

The second function of art portrayed in the novel is its capacity to give voice to the marginalized and critique societal inequities. This dimension emerges primarily through Ono's relationship with his second teacher, Matsuda, who introduces him to the ideas of social responsibility in art.

While Moriyama focused on beauty in the floating world, Matsuda encouraged Ono to look beyond pleasure districts to the suffering in Japanese society. During their walks through impoverished neighborhoods, Matsuda shows Ono the stark contrast between the idealized world of ukiyo-e paintings and the harsh realities of poverty and exploitation. Drawing on Marxist ideas about class consciousness, Matsuda challenges Ono: "Artists must learn to value something more tangible than those pleasurable things that disappear with the morning light" (Ishiguro 174). This perspective reflects the growing influence of Western political ideologies in pre-war Japan, including socialist thought that emphasized art's role in social transformation.

Matsuda represents a modernizing impulse in Japanese culture, informed by Western intellectual traditions that view art as a potential catalyst for social change. His critique of Moriyama's aesthetic philosophy—"Fine sentiments and noble intentions—what are they worth?" (Ishiguro 173)—reveals his belief that art should engage directly with social reality rather than retreating into aesthetic pleasure. Through Matsuda's character, Ishiguro explores how European ideologies like Marxism influenced Japanese intellectual life in the early twentieth century, creating new expectations for art's social function.

Under Matsuda's influence, Ono begins creating artworks that depict the struggles of ordinary Japanese citizens. His painting "Complacency" showcases laborers walking past wealthy patrons of a pleasure house, highlighting class divisions. His work "Eyes to the Horizon" portrays common citizens looking toward a better future. These works represent Ono's attempt to use his artistic voice to highlight social injustice and advocate for the voiceless masses, a significant departure from the purely aesthetic tradition of his first master.

The novel demonstrates how this function of art involves a political awakening, where artists recognize their potential to influence public consciousness. Ono's transition from aesthetic pleasure to social commentary marks a significant evolution in his artistic development. His break with Moriyama—symbolized by the master's destruction of Ono's work that deviated from the atelier's tradition—represents the tension between art as beauty and art as social critique.

This tension reveals a fundamental question about artistic purpose: should art primarily offer aesthetic pleasure or should it confront social problems? Ishiguro presents this not as a simple binary but as a complex moral terrain for artists to navigate. The novel suggests that while art can effectively give voice to the marginalized, this function also opens the door to more problematic forms of political engagement. Ono's evolution from social critic to nationalist propagandist demonstrates how the step from giving voice to the voiceless to imposing one's voice on others is smaller than it might appear.

Business and Capitalism: Art as Commercial Enterprise

The third function of art examined in the novel is its commercial dimension. Ishiguro portrays the art world as an economic system where creative works become commodities and artists must navigate market pressures. This aspect is most clearly represented through Ono's relationship with the Takeda firm, which commissions his propaganda posters.

The novel shows how commercial considerations invariably influence artistic production. When Ono joins the Takeda firm, he enters a world where art is manufactured according to client specifications and commercial objectives. The firm's approach to art focuses on efficiency and marketability rather than aesthetic or social value. As Ono observes: "The Takeda firm had the reputation of producing the most polished commercial work in the city" (Ishiguro 167). This represents a significant shift from both Moriyama's aesthetic ideals and Matsuda's social consciousness, introducing economic imperatives as a driving force in artistic production.

In the Takeda firm, art becomes subordinated to advertising and promotion. Artists work in assembly-line fashion to produce images that sell products or promote messages. Ono describes how the firm is organized with "separate departments for poster work, newspaper advertisements, and magazine illustrations" (Ishiguro 168). This industrialization of artistic production contrasts sharply with the artisanal approach of Moriyama's studio, where each work was unique and created for its own sake.

The novel situates this commercial transformation within Japan's broader modernization and Westernization during the early twentieth century. As Japan developed economically and militarily, traditional artistic practices increasingly gave way to market-driven approaches influenced by Western commercial art. The Takeda firm symbolizes this cultural shift, reflecting how artistic production adopted industrial methods to meet the demands of a modernizing society.

Ishiguro illustrates how commercial art can lead to standardization and compromise. When Ono creates posters for beer companies, his creative decisions are guided by what will most effectively promote the product rather than by aesthetic considerations or social commentary. The commercialization of art requires artists to subordinate personal vision to client needs, raising questions about artistic integrity within capitalist systems. Through Ono's experiences, Ishiguro suggests that commercial success can provide artists with material stability and wider influence but may also compromise their artistic vision and independence.

This tension becomes particularly significant as Ono's commercial work for the Takeda firm transitions into propaganda for nationalist causes, blurring the lines between commercial art and political messaging. The novel reveals how commercial art's emphasis on persuasion and impact provides skills that can be repurposed for political propaganda. Ono's ability to craft compelling images for advertising campaigns became the foundation for his later propaganda work, demonstrating how commercial art can function as a gateway to political art.

Nationalism and Power: Art as Propaganda

The fourth function of art—and perhaps the most ethically problematic in the novel—is its use as a tool for nationalist propaganda and political power. This dimension becomes central to Ono's career when he begins creating works that support Japanese imperialism and militarism in the years leading up to World War II.

Under the influence of Chishu Matsuda, who represents the patriotic cultural establishment, Ono transitions from social critique to nationalist propaganda. The novel portrays this transition as both a continuation and perversion of his earlier social consciousness. His paintings shift from depicting the struggles of common citizens to glorifying Japan's imperial ambitions. Works like "Complacency" are reinterpreted with nationalistic overtones, and he creates new paintings like "Eyes to the Horizon" that explicitly promote Japanese expansionism, with figures now gazing toward an empire rather than social justice.

Ishiguro situates this artistic transformation within Japan's historical trajectory toward militarism and imperialism in the 1930s. As ultra-nationalist ideologies gained prominence in Japanese society, artists faced increasing pressure to align their work with the state's expansionist agenda. Chishu Matsuda exemplifies the cultural establishment that promoted such alignment, offering recognition and influence to artists who served nationalist causes. His meetings with Ono at the Migishima restaurant represent the intersection of art and power, where aesthetic judgments become inseparable from political loyalty.

The novel depicts Ono's propaganda art through his mentorship of young artists whom he encourages to serve the "new spirit" of Japan. As he instructs his students: "It is no longer enough to hide inside one's own private domain, painting elegant pictures for the wealthy. Our art must serve the greater good" (Ishiguro 193). This "greater good" becomes increasingly aligned with Japan's imperialist agenda as Ono creates posters celebrating military conquest and national glory. The rhetorical similarity between his earlier calls for social consciousness and his later nationalist exhortations reveals propaganda's capacity to appropriate progressive language for reactionary ends.

Ono's rise to prominence through his nationalist art reveals how politics can reward artists who align with state ideology. He receives official recognition, sits on influential committees that determine which artists receive support, and gains the power to advance or hinder other artists' careers. The novel shows how artistic prestige becomes inseparable from political power, as Ono's aesthetic judgments become tools for enforcing ideological conformity. His denunciation of his student Kuroda as an "unpatriotic artist" demonstrates how artistic authority can transform into political authority with devastating consequences for those deemed ideologically suspect.

The novel's portrayal of propaganda art offers a meditation on how aesthetic skill can serve destructive ends when divorced from ethical consideration. Ono's technical abilities—developed first in service of beauty, then social critique—ultimately enable him to create compelling propaganda that contributes to Japan's wartime mobilization. His journey illustrates the moral hazards when artistic talent becomes a tool of nationalist fervor. Through Ono's eventual regret and the post-war rejection of his work, the novel raises profound questions about artistic responsibility and complicity with destructive political movements.

Conclusion: The Moral Complexity of Artistic Purpose

Ishiguro masterfully weaves these four functions of art throughout "An Artist of the Floating World," showing how they overlap and conflict in Ono's life. The novel refuses simple moral judgments about which function should take precedence, instead exploring the complex ethical territory artists navigate when their work intersects with politics and history.

The interconnection of art's multiple functions reveals how artistic purposes can transform over time, sometimes in ways that betray their original intentions. Ono's journey from student of beauty to nationalist propagandist demonstrates how aesthetic skill, social consciousness, and commercial success can ultimately serve political ends that the artist might later come to regret. The novel suggests that these functions are not discrete categories but fluid dimensions of artistic practice that influence and shape one another in complex ways.

As post-war Japan undergoes democratic reforms and cultural transformation, Ono must confront the consequences of his artistic choices. His attempts to reconcile with his past—particularly his responsibility for Kuroda's imprisonment—reveal the lasting impact of art beyond the artist's original intentions. Through Ono's reflections, Ishiguro suggests that artists must take responsibility for how their work functions in society, particularly when it aligns with destructive political ideologies.

The broader implications for understanding art's social impact extend beyond the novel's specific historical context. By tracing Ono's artistic evolution, Ishiguro invites readers to consider how art inevitably engages with social, economic, and political forces, regardless of the artist's explicit intentions. The novel challenges the notion of "art for art's sake" by demonstrating how artistic production always occurs within specific historical contexts that shape its meaning and function.

Ishiguro's contribution to discussions of artistic ethics lies in his refusal to provide simple answers to complex questions about artistic responsibility. Rather than condemning or absolving Ono, the novel presents his story as a meditation on how artistic choices acquire moral significance through their social impact. In the novel's final pages, as Ono sits in his garden contemplating the new Japan rising around him, Ishiguro leaves readers with a poignant reflection on art's enduring influence. Whatever its function- beauty, social critique, commercial product, or propaganda—art leaves traces that outlast the artist's intentions. For Ono, reconciling with this legacy becomes the final act of his artistic life, suggesting that understanding art's multifaceted functions is essential not only for creators but for societies grappling with their cultural and political histories.

References:

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