Originally Posted by
stlukesguild
I would say, however, that the most successful international literature other than English in the world is Japanese right now - every East Asian, and most European and North American audiences have felt a strong influence, particularly with modernist works. The Chinese government is trying to restrict this influence with no success; as a product Japanese art is far better received than that of anywhere but the United States.
There is an interesting correlation here with the visual arts. Western European art (French, Italian, Austro-German, Dutch, English, and Spanish) and American Art dominate the world art markets and discussions/studies of art... but Japanese art is by far the most influential and popular of Non-Western art. Part of this is likely due to fact that Japanese art shares much with the sensibilities of Modern Western art. The spatial elements and graphic nature of Japanese prints had a profound impact upon the Impressionists, Post-Impressionists, and Expressionists. The decorative aspects of Japanese screen painting... especially of the Momoyama period... impacted artists such as Gustav Klimt, Alphonse Mucha, and many artists and illustrators of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco period. The "Minimalism" and sensitivity to natural materials of Japanese architecture and design had a great impact upon Western Modernist architecture and design.
Chinese art strikes me... and many others... as overwrought... almost Baroque. As much as I love Persian and Islamic art, it is little-known in Western art circles in comparison to Japanese art. The same could be said of Indian art, African art, South American Art, etc... Western art circles will likely be far more familiar with Hokusai, Hiroshige, and Utamaro than any names of Chinese, Persian, or South American artists. The Japanese have been more successful in digesting Western influences and turning it into something really original. While there are a number of Chinese artists beginning to make a name, too often they seem overly indebted to Western/American Pop Art and installations. One rarely hears of American artists building upon more recent Chinese or Indian art, where this is not true of Japanese art.