[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Tuesday, 22 September 1998 Volume 04 : Number 289 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 09:13:52 -0600 Subject: [Baren 1745] Re: Baren Digest V4 #288 Still can't send more than three lines. New updates to encyclopedia extremely helpful. I like Q & A format very much, Dave. -- Gayle ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 10:31:29 -0600 Subject: [Baren 1746] Re: Baren Digest V4 #287 Regarding Daniel's images: > > http://www.vowel.or.jp/~daniel/ I couldn't download themfor some reason. The octet stream plugin doesn't work on my Mac. Anyone else have a problem? * * * Dave, the new encyclopedia entry with Q/A why we would want to teach printmaking turned out quite nice with all the pieces put together as one. I think this is a good way to go in getting information out. Maybe this could be done with other areas of interest in the process. Gayle Wohlken ------------------------------ From: Steiner Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 10:21:12 +0900 Subject: [Baren 1747] catching up with the news from Richard Steiner, Kyoto Way back in Baren 1526, David talked about "warming" up the blocks and other tools before doing the real printing. True words. However, the way he implied to go about warming up can be improved upon by keeping a spray can (like the sort some mothers use to spray starch on clothing with, or the kind gardeners use) filled with water at hand, and dampening the block to be printed, the brush and the moistening papers before beginning to print. In summer, it is imperative that you keep your eye on the moistening paper and re-wet it often. I teach my students to moisten well and often during the printing stage. We test print about two or three sheets at most, cheap washi to be sure, but close enuf to the real paper so that we can get accurate ideas of what the colors will look like. Eventually, the print artist will understand his or her tools well enough to not have to waste time or material in solving problems like what color to use, a darker or lighter one, why can't I get a flatter tone, why am I losing the fine lines, and so forth. Kelly wrote in Baren 1541 that woodblock printmaking is not alive and kicking in Japan. Sorry he said that since it has been my experience, traveling around the country, and also teaching printmaking for almost 20 years, that there are plenty of printmakers everywhere. As I wrote months ago here, the vast majority of these people are amateurs, true, but some are very good amateurs who only lack self-confidence and exposure. Yes, the great craftsmen of yore are going, going, gone. But, where does that put Dave Bull? He is one of many, (many!) who are carving, printing, designing and still have decades of life before them. Japanese art school students really can't be used as the sole source for statistics on woodblock print viability or general health. Nakamura at 70+ doesn't print much, but he is being replaced by a young Japanese women who after only a few years studying, has been allowed to hang out her sign as a professional carver. Two of my students have been pro-printers for ten years now. "Classic Japanese woodblocks" may not be so easy to find, if Kelly means the ukiyo-e sort. But classic techniques are very much alive and evident everywhere, alongside new and exciting techniques being developed by young printmakers like Kelly himself and others I know. Because I am teaching, because there are also many other teachers in Japan, woodblock printmaking is hardly on the way out, either as a "classic" art form or as experimental. (It was just such a debate that forced Dave and I to get acquainted and to become friends, tho we were on different sides of the fence then. I am getting tired of this nonsense about printmaking, a dying art. Don't believe it. Lies. This is just what the Kyoto International Woodprint Asso. ((KIWA)) is all about, to prove that there are countless printmakers all over the place and get them to come out of hiding.) Gary asked in Baren 1545 about Tokuriki and the ageless printmakers in Japan. Hiratsuka passed away last year at over 100; my favorite, Takeji Asano, is older than Tokuriki and still with us; Toshi Yoshida passed away last year in his 80s; my own teacher, Tokumitsu, went to printer's heaven several years ago also in his 80s. Don't know why they last so long, but all over the place there are the elderly. Last week was Respect for the Aged Day, and the papers said that in Japan there are over 10,000 people 100 or more. Must be the tofu. Ray (Baren 1553), you picked up the wrong book. HA, Right ON, damn it. Dave comes thru with the vindication necessary (Baren 1554). I would have jumped on this sickness sooner but was out of town, getting back just now. (Hence, this survey of replies to the previous letters.) 25 years from now? If I have my way, there will be thousands of printmakers, all taught in my workshop, or taught by my students or by their students. The school of printmaking I belong to, loosely translated at the Knife School (in japanese, Toh-no-Kai, literally, knife's association) is growing in numbers because I am very actively teaching; I have given a license to one student already who can begin teaching anytime she wants now. In Hiroshima, where the Toh School began, there may be other teachers descended from either Tokumitsu or from his teacher, Asada. Spare me and yourself further nonsense about the disappearance of woodblock printmaking, either here in Japan or elsewhere in the world. I will have none of that from now on. Gary Luedtke (Baren 1558) has got my vote for being a human being first class. Right on, Gary. More shouting, please. And in Baren 1622 Gary asked if anyone out there would like to coach Baren members on how to make money as an artist. For an artist, the answer is always: exhibit yourself. (?). Well, you know what I mean, join in group shows at first, get your feet wet, do this a few times until you learn the vocabulary and expectations and routine (and labor!), then try a batch of 3-person or 2-person exhibitions, followed, naturally, by your first solo show. I have had more exhibitions than I can count, especially if you include the ones I put together for students but didn't participate in. The only real way to learn is by doing, I think Gary might agree. Choosing the site, deciding which works to display and how to display them, designing the invitation card, handling sales and keeping records, sending out Thank you cards to the visitors who gave gifts or purchased your work. There's more that I will write later, but basically the above is the place and frame of mind to begin with. Exposure is the name of the artist's game. In Baren 1631, Ray brought up the idea of having a business mentor or a fleet of mentors, from amongst the Baren membership, who would field questions as they arose. That's pretty much just what we have, seemingly, tho it sure could be refined. I like Ray's suggestion, and think we should give it a try. Evidently, Gary liked it, too. (Baren 1636). When new people sign onto Baren Forum and begin asking the same questions asked earlier, they can be referred to past discussions by mentors stored in the main Baren Encyclopedia, after a brief answer so as to not appear too cool to their question. Certainly, Baren will eventually get simply too weighted down with repetitions and side discussions unless something like Mother Dave's Sidebar idea isn't implemented. Then, Baren will lose its "action" and relevance and freshness; so, I really think the Mentor way is a good one, with the answers stored away for future reference in neat, clearly labeled "boxes." I must sent this off to the Host before going on to Baren 1646. Richard Steiner, Kyoto ------------------------------ From: Daniel Kelly Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 10:48:53 +0000 Subject: [Baren 1748] Re: catching up with the news Steiner wrote: > Kelly wrote in Baren 1541 that woodblock printmaking is not alive and > kicking in Japan. I concede. It is very much alive here. It was just my narrow historical view that was limited. But more than that I think the baren is the hottest secret in printmaking. D ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 16:43:32 +0900 Subject: [Baren 1749] Information access ... Gayle wrote: > ... the new encyclopedia entry with Q/A ... > ... I think this is a good way to go in getting information out. > Maybe this could be done with other areas of interest in the process. Finding a way to ensure that this wonderful flood of information and opinion that is passing through [Baren] is not 'lost' is something on which I have been spending quite a bit of time. At first, I thought that the indexing I do on the archive every night would be an adequate way to allow people to get at the information they want, but it has become apparent that such indexing is only of marginal use at best, as the volume of information in there has grown just too large. This idea of waiting until a thread has quieted down a bit, and then going back through it, clipping the salient points, and gathering them together into a page in the Encyclopedia is the way to go, I think, and I'll be doing more of it from now on. As for past discussions - there are some wonderful threads in the archives waiting to be pulled out and collated. A couple that come to mind immediately are: Art/Craft ... starting with digest #13 Should an edition vary ... starting with digest #19 There are lots more ... The problem for me of course, is finding the time. But the archives are wide open for everybody to access, and if somebody has a bit of time on their hands and would like to 'volunteer' ... Hmmm Isn't this the perfect kind of work for an 'intern', don't you think? *** I mentioned 'typhoon' time last night, but should have saved my comment for a day. That was just a 'little' one, the seventh of this year, and just grazed our area. No damage here but some broken branches. But tonight, right on its tail, is #8, and this one is a lot bigger. The storm shutters are going up all over the place, and we may be in for quite a ride. I see on the news that [Baren] member Haydee Landing down in Puerto Rico is also getting roughed up today. Haydee, it sounds pretty bad down there - can you let us know how you are doing? Dave B. ------------------------------ From: Cucamongie@aol.com Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 08:25:03 EDT Subject: [Baren 1750] Daniel's website I visited Daniel's website yesterday - really wonderful, wild stuff!! There was one picture that wasn't showing up for some reason, but the rest was definitely there in full color -- Sarah Hauser ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V4 #289 ***************************