Symposium
The World of Loustal - Bridging Comics and Art
Here at the Manga Museum, we have been working hard to promote the manga culture of Japan as well of that of other countries. In particular, we have held various exhibitions and events regarding French comics, called bande dessinee(BD), in an effort to spread awareness and understanding of them.
This time we are holding a symposium in order to learn more about the allure of BD, with a special visit from Loustal, a BD artist recognized internationally for his cross-cultural themes and artistic style.
Inspired by jazz and roman noir (noir fiction), he recreates the same atmosphere in the brilliance of his drawings and their depth of color. This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the world of Loustal, a master of color.
| Date | October 17, 2010, 2pm-5 :30pm |
| Venue | Kyoto International Manga Museum, 1st Floor Multi-Purpose Room |
| Admission | Free
* However, the general admission fee to the museum is still required. |
| Participation | No advance reservations. Seating for 250 will be provided in order of arrival. |
Organizers
Kyoto International Manga Museum, Kyoto Seika University Manga Research Center
| With cooperation from INSTITUT FRNACO-JAPONAIS DU KANSAI, Institut franco-japonais de Tokyo, and the Graduate School of Manga at Kyoto Seika University. | |
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Event Details
Part 1
Introduction into Loustal's works with a special emphasis on his BD stories.
| Speakers | Inomata Noriko (BD researcher) |
Part 2
Loustal's work, crossing over from the field of BD to that of art, will be analyzed by researchers of BD and aesthetics, in order to understand the relationship between "BD" and "art."
*Loustal speaks in French, and interpretations from French into Japanese will be provided with a microphone, from Japanese into French. (no English translation).
| Guest Speakers | Loustal (BD artist) |
Related Events
This event is part of a larger project, with cooperation from relevant organizations, to present world-famous Loustal and his work through various means.
Talk Between BD/ Manga Artists
Cultic Graphic Maniac
| Date | October 14, 2010, 7pm-9pm |
| Venue | Institut franco-japonais de Tokyo |
| Event Details | There will be a special dialogue between Loustal and Terada Katsuya, an illustrator famous for his unique worlds. (English translation will not be provided.) |
| Guests | Loustal (BD artist), Terada Katsuya (illustrator and manga artist), and Hara Masato (BD researcher) |
| Admission | Free |
| Inquiries | Institut franco-japonais de Tokyo (03-5206-2500) |
Exhibition
Japan through Loustal's eyes
| Period | October 20 - 23, 2010, 9 :30am-7pm |
| Venue | Franco-Japanese Institute of Kansai |
| Event Details | This exhibition will focus on Loustal's use of deep, warm colors in his brilliant illustrations, which earned him recognition as a master of color. |
| Admission | Free |
| Inquiries | Franco-Japanese Institute of Kansai (075-761-2105) |
Lecture Series
Loustal's Travel Writing
| Date | October 21, 2010, from 7pm |
| Venue | Franco-Japanese Institute of Kansai |
| Event Details | There will be a series of lectures focusing on"travel," a continual inspiration for Loustal, and Japan. (English translation will not be provided.) |
| Admission | Free |
| Inquiries | Franco-Japanese Institute of Kansai (075-761-2105) |
About Jacques de Loustal
Loustal is a French comic artist. Although he majored in architecture, he had some of his drawings included in amateur magazines during college. In 1977, he published the first collection of his works in their own volume. At the same time, his illustrations were published in the French music magazine, "Rock & Folk." The editor in chief of the magazine at that time, Philippe Paringaux, would later become one of Loustal's writers, working together for many years. In March of 1979, the two of them first created short work called "Blues" in the magazine "Metal Hurlant."
From 1980 onwards, Loustal began to transition to a style focused more on color. In 1983, after graduating from college, he was required to go to Morocco for military service, and his experiences there had a huge impact on his stories and unique style. Since then he has drawn a lot of attention for using a narrative style without any speech balloons. In works where Paringaux collaborated as a writer, they focused on past decades that people tend to have forgotten about, evoking, for example, images of 1950s Paris or North Africa. At the same time that the works rekindle the reader's memories, they also cause the reader to question the reality of the events portrayed in the story.
Unlike mainstream comics that are full of action, in Loustal's works it sometimes feels like time has stopped. He is more influenced by artists such as Herge, known for his clear lines in "Adventures of Tin tin," and Moebius, whose works invoke a dream-like sense of reality, as well as Max Beckmann, David Hockney, and the movies of Marguerite Duras. In addition to his narrative works, he has also produced a number of one-page drawings that have been collected for art books and exhibitions.
One of his most well-known works is "Barney et la note bleue" (1987), a portrait of a jazz musician who was famous in Paris around 1960 but later died of drug overdose.
