From Japan, creatures great and small
Pair of Sacred Monkeys, late Heian period (794–1185), 12th century, camphor (kusunoki) wood with traces of pigment, a) 16 1/2 x 9 x 9 1/2 in.; b) 16 1/2 x 9 x 11 in., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Jo Ann and Julian Ganz, Jr., Margaret and David Barry, the Louis Y. Kado Trust, Mrs. Charlene S. Kornblum and Dr. S. Sanford Kornblum, Murray Smith, and Grace Tsao, photo © Museum Associates/LACMAZoological gardens “Every Living Thing: Animals in Japanese Art” at LACMA Robert T. Singer was probably put on Earth to shepherd this exhibition into existence. He’s been (good-naturedly, I’m sure) referred to as a zookeeper rather than a curator because of all the Japanese art depicting animals that he’s collected for LACMA over the past 30 years: He joined the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1988 and, as the department head of Japanese art, has spearheaded some remarkable shows during his tenure. The 2001 preview for the Max Palevsky Collection of Japanese Woodblock Prints was just one of those memorable moments for this writer. Now, along with Kawai Masatomo, director of the Chiba City Museum of Art in Japan, Singer has assemble an exhibition of nearly 200 works in all media…
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