Kateland

Ferraz
April 25, 2015
AP Language & Composition
Visual Rhetoric
SOAPSTONE:
The speaker of this portrait is the artist, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, who was thirty-one
years old at the time of this painting. He emigrated from Japan as a teenager with the
initiative to learn English and return to Japan to be a translator. He found his love for art
while in California and went to school in New York to pursue a career as an artist. The
occasion is 1924, and at this time there is segregation in the United States between
Americans and Japanese and the mistreatment of Japanese people is a growing problem.
The audience is the general public, maybe specifically for his wife Katherine Schmidt
due to the purpose. The purpose of this artwork is to portray his love and gratitude for his
wife. He compares this island of happiness to his marriage and how she helps him
disregard the events occurring at the time surrounding immigration. The subject is love,
for he has for his wife, security and happiness in which she provides for him. Lastly, the
tone the artist may have while painting this could be earnest because he portrays such
sincerity for his wife.
PROMPT:
In Yasuo Kuniyoshis portrait titled Island of Happiness, the focal point resides
in the nude female, who is smack in the middle of the painting. Not only is she in the
middle of the painting, but also she seems to be lying in the middle of this dark colored
figure. The contour of this colored figure she is laying on seems to portray an island,
considering the title has the word island in it. Kuniyoshi did an excellent job extracting
use of warm and cool colors in this portrait. The contrast of the dark, warm, reddish

brown and violet in the background accentuates the nude female in the foreground who is
painted in a cream-ish white, otherwise known as one of the brightest colors. This use of
bright color and the composition of the island draw the viewers eyes straight to her. The
dark colors on the outside of the island could imply that it is a gloomy and/or chaotic
time in Kuniyoshis life or in the United States (where he is living). This statement is
backed up the facial expression of the woman on the island. She has a slight smile on her
face, and with her eyes closed she appears almost nostalgic, or in a dream state. This
implied sense of happiness contrasts the dark background. Again, taking clues from the
title, she is clearly happy and since she is on the Island of Happiness, she must be a
happy occurrence and/or element in Kuniyoshis life, perhaps representing his wife,
Katherine Schmidt. The marine flora and fauna surrounding her body adds to the theme
of an island filling it with beautiful plant life around her body, directing towards her. Out
of all the plants surrounding her, a particular one stands out. The limp tree branch with
two leaves on it is perpendicular to her body, almost as if it was coming out of her
stomach. Trees in general are a symbol of life, and darkness is usually a symbol of death.
Again, this perpendicular line draws attention towards the focal point and pointing out
that she is the symbol of happiness. Lastly, the arrangement of her body on the island is
important to consider. Her body takes up almost the entire island, leaving a limited
amount of space for the plant life. This space arrangement again contributes to the idea
that she is an important factor in Kuniyoshis life. It seems as if the island is closing in on
her like a womb, bringing forth the theme of security, given that at this time in
Kuniyoshis life he was considered an alien enemy and anti immigration was major in
the United States. Considering this factor as well, the portrait begins to make sense. She

is the focal point of the portrait and Kuniyoshis life. His marriage is strong and pleasant
despite the surrounding negative events, in which he may decide to black out because
he has her as his happiness.