[Baren} the mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking Baren Digest Sunday, 21 May 2000 Volume 11 : Number1014 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: B Mason Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 07:49:58 -0700 Subject: [Baren 9686] Japanese prints I notice an interesting thing happening, I have gone from not particularly caring for the imagry in Japanese prints (warriors, actors, etc.) to really liking them. I guess education is the true key. I am starting to haunt e-bay so I can look at them. I see your next print in your Surinomo Series is by Husai, Dave. I will be anziously awaiting it to see the image. I am particularly taken with Husai's images. Do any of you experts out there know if he carved and printed his own blocks? I guess a good artist is a good artist in any medium! Barbara ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 07:56:47 -0700 Subject: [Baren 9687] Japanese prints again To all, sorry I transposed the letters is Hausi, it is that right brain again, not paying attention to these little details, like typing! Maria, I just got my #5 prints! Thanks so much. They are so wonderful, much better than the slide show on the net! I never cease to marvel at how luchy we are to be involved with this site! Barbara ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 00:18:38 +0900 Subject: [Baren 9688] Re: Japanese prints Barbara wrote: > I see your next print in > your Surinomo Series is by Husai, Dave. Umm ... Sorry Barbara, but it's by _Hokusai_! (What have you been mixing with your soda water this evening? ;-) > Do any of you experts out there know if he carved and > printed his own blocks? Whether you mean Hasui (the 20th century shin-hanga artist), or Hokusai (the famous Edo-era designer), the answer is the same. These men were designers 'only'; the blocks for their prints were cut by professional cutters, and the prints were pulled by professional printers. And it was all done under the auspices of the 'fourth man', the publisher. All in all, a very powerful approach - the full undiluted 'power' of each man doing a job he trained for a lifetime to do. Dave ------------------------------ From: "Gregory D. Valentine" Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 09:53:25 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Baren 9689] Exchange #5 Wow! A really impressive collection of prints. Some new compositional ideas we haven't seen before on Baren, improved techniques, obviously serious commitment from the participants. I think the group is encouraging growth in its members. A fine exchange (evident even in the web version). Congratulations to everyone. --Greg Valentine ------------------------------ From: B Mason Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 10:48:06 -0700 Subject: [Baren 9690] Printers Dave, Guess I truly am not paying attention, I had just been on e-bay looking at prints by Hasui and I was so impressed with them, such subtle color changes and such good composition, that I read your next print wrong. It was probably just wishful thinking on my part! I am trying to decide why his designs are so pleasing to me, they are technically perfect, but the compositions are all anchored, nothing is floating around. This might be more pleasing to the western trained eye. It is hard to decide why one artist's work is more pleasing than another when the subject matter is similar and the technique is equally perfect. Four trained men, one print. We will never measure up, so I guess we are doing it for different reasons! Barbara ------------------------------ From: "Jeanne Norman Chase" Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 16:27:16 -0400 Subject: [Baren 9691] Exchange 5 They keep getting better and better!!!! Interesting to see what the folks in Kampala think of this show. An additional comment. If anyone should stray to the slide show and see the print "Nexus". It is hand embossed but you cannot see it in the slide show. The intent is a little lost without the embossing. It is a rock guitar player and an old , old car, A "cookie cutter"car (that is what I call all the cars made today, is embossed under the old car. So if you miss the embossing , you miss the message. Embossing takes a special light to show up. anyway, just thought I would throw that out for the people who did not get the wonderful portfolio!!! I will take it home tonight and pour over it some more. Jeanne N. ------------------------------ From: Graham Scholes Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 22:58:41 -0800 Subject: [Baren 9692] Sosaku Hanga Artist. The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria http://aggv.bc.ca has an exciting exhibition just installed that show about 30 to 40 works of woodblock art by each of two Master Sosaku Hanga artist..... KIYOSHI SAITO (1907-1997) and JUN'ICHIRO SEKINO (1914-1988) Info about these chaps at http://spectacle.berkeley.edu/~fiorillo/2sosakuhanga.html The Gallery has not shown this work for 8 years and I was thrilled to see it ..... some of which I had not seen before. These two artists did some very creative and interesting work with lots of texture and a wide range of subjects. Frankly it blew my socks off..! ! For those in the NorthWest it is well worth a visit to Victoria to see the show. The exhibition is on for two months (Until July 30th) and being as it is vitally important to educate the public about our sport I accepted the suggestion to go in once a week to demonstrate hanga. It is also an honour which is always nice for the ego.... I am calling the demonstation ..."Brown Bagging it" as it goes over the lunch hour. We hope to attract people to come in during lunch. Guess what the subject will be. For the guys coming to the workshop we will take an afternoon halfway through the week to visit the exibition. I have the cooperation of the Barry Till the curator to dig out an assortment of other woodblock print artists that any of you just have to see. So if you will let me know I will list the artist and see what can be pulled from their collection. We will put on white gloves and enjoy. Regards Graham ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 08:44:41 -0400 Subject: [Baren 9693] Re: Baren Digest V11 #1013 Got my prints, too!!! Maria, thank you for all you've accomplished in getting these to us. Also, I thank you for your hints to make the job go more smoothly for the next coordinator. Since I'm that very one, I doubly appreciate your comments, and have cut and pasted these for July when I'll be sending countdown messages to the crew from the Captain here. And everybody in Exchange #5---we are oohing and ahhing like Fourth of July (here in the U.S.A.--fireworks) Gayle, Ohio (USA) ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V11 #1014 *****************************