MAIKO AND GEIKO

acrylic on canvas and painted wooden frame, 46 x 60 inches

.........It's almost dusk when we arrive at Kyoto. The area around the train station is fairly modern but as the taxi wends its way towards the hotel we see rather more of the old style Japanese buildings. We are certainly not disappointed when we reach hotel Gion as promised our room overlook the roofs of old timber buildings in the Gion entertainment district. The shoguns liked to keep the theatres, geishas, bars etc. in one district. There is a beautiful temple surrounded by numerous tiny shrines which looks exquisite glimmering through the dark with the occasional ringing of bells as people offer up prayers to the deity. We then wander through the tiny back streets hoping to capture glimpses of geishas and sure enough we do. Walking swiftly, individual girls, head erect and beautifully presented, these elusive creatures disappear rapidly into doorways and passages. I'm not sure if it's the sight of me with my camera that hastens their exits. I soon develop a technique of pursuing them at great speed but it takes longer for my camera to focus in the dark so I've probably got more rear view shots although a wonderful girl with an entourage of business men is pointed out to me by a Japanese woman proceeding down one of the busier streets. I ran to overtake them and walking backwards across a zebra crossing manage to get some front views. She's beautiful, quite rounded and the businessmen chuckle at being in the picture too. She stops still on the other side for me to get a shot and when I thank her does a wonderful mimic of my English voice only hers is with an American accent - she says "thanks awfully" which seems somehow surreal when uttered through the tiny red lips on the painted white face; and almost as suddenly as she is gone another girls rounds the corner, also in yellow; looks very young and quite fragile. She's sweet and when she realises I am trying to photograph her, stops and stands for me. These girls devote their lives to being Geishas, foregoing marriage and motherhood, highly trained in music singing and dance, they entertain wealthy men and certainly look more regal than the western concept would convey. They are the perfect hostesses, leading the conversation and the meal.......

from the diary entry for 21st October 2004