Week Two: Research Assignment (Shige Yamada)

 For this week, I have decided to write about Shige Yamada. Yamada is an American artist, sculpturist, certified teacher in Hawaii. Yamada, Shige was born on May 25th, 1933 in Wailuku/Maui, Hawaii. As far as education goes, Yamada has earned multiple degrees from the University of Hawaii such as; Bachelor, 1955, Bachelor's in Education, 1956, and Master's in Fine Arts, 1958. Yamada had also worked as an art teacher at Wahiawa Department of Education (1958-1964). As well as a part of the United States Military Dependents Schools in Itazuke, Japan (1962-1963). An art lecturer at the University of Hawaii (1964-1968). Professor, College Education (1968-1988). Art professor at California State University in San Bernardino, California (1971-1972). Yamada was recognized as a notable artist by Marquis' Who's Who. Yamada has also created a monumental bronze sculpture for the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu (1998).

The art piece that MOCA first shows on Yamada's webpage is titled "Cheers!" The background has multiple colors and different shapes along the background. There's also these three string looking things along the middle of the art piece, they most resemble Rupert's Drops to me. Which is molten glass that is dipped in cold water, after the molten glass is cooled down, the glass is nearly indestructible, it has the strength to break a bullet that is shot from a gun. Though it seems insanely strong, there is one weakness to the Rupert's Drop, which is the opposite end of the strong side of the glass. With enough force, the entire Rupert's Drop will shatter into thousands of pieces. Going back to the art piece, the end of the Rupert's Drop is not in the frame of the art piece which could be significant of the message it is trying to send.

Cheers!