Rice Paddy Crop Art

I saw this picture in an article from the guardian and found it so interesting I wanted to do some research on the subject. The image is a reproduction of artist Hokusai's famous print, "The Great Wave", created in rice fields by planting different coloured grains of rice. This agricultural artistry can be found in the village of Inakadate, Japan, where the rice paddy crop art exhibition has been a tradition for nearly sixteen years. Each year 8000 villagers help to create these works of art and more than 15000 visitors travel to witness the creations. 

'The Great Wave' is one of my favorites, not only is it visually beautiful, but the way in which it is produced must be admired also. This ancient folk art has been created with the help of computer imaging, without this technology, images of this scale and detail would be unimaginable. The farmers of Inakadate have used modern, sophisticated digital technology, however still maintained a traditional and folk appearance that draws from Japanese heritage. I admire how the Japanese farmers have embraced modern technology and combined it with traditional methods and art forms. It seems a wonder to me how sophisticated this crop art looks when it has been created from rice fields by the local community. 

Below are some more examples from previous years of rice paddy crop art.