--- Go to the Opening Page of the [Baren] web site ---

Message 1
From: PLAWING # smumn.edu
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:10:15 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37251] Kiyoshi Saito
Send Message: To this poster

Saito did a Time Magazine cover with an image of Japan's Premier Sato in February, 1967.

There was a blurb on the inside about Saito's prints, but here is the cover image:


http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19670210,00.html

While in Japan last fall, I saw lots of Saito's work, but many of the Japanese I spoke with had a mild disdain for his work as too commercial or illustrative or petty or ubiquitous. (almost like some Americans (and Art critics) have for Norman Rockwell)

Preston


Preston B. Lawing
Chair, Department of Art and Design
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
700 Terrace Heights
#1421
Winona, MN 55987
(507) 457-1701
plawing#smumn.edu

• [Back to message index]

Message 2
From: Jennifer Martindale
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:57:56 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37252] Selling work and postage
Send Message: To this poster

Surely one needs the people to buy the work to give one the excuse to make more. Storing 'stuff' up
in the attic gives far less satisfaction, than seeing someone's eyes light up as they carry off their
new found 'treasure'. I love the feedback and comments from people whether they buy or not, but get a
real buzz when they give me real hard earned money. I do not claim to make a profit, but feel the work
itself should make a major contribution to its costs. How else can I justify to the family why I am so
busy enjoying myself instead of doing housework!

With reference to the Exchange, is there a UK based artist who can advise what is the best way to organise
the packaging and costs of return postage to USA for the Moku Hanga Exchange, particularly with its rather non
standard shape? I would be grateful for any tips from those who have contributed to earlier Exchanges. Thank you.

• [Back to message index]

Message 3
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:29:32 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37253] Re: exchange case for #39
Send Message: To this poster

Linda,
A few years ago we lost our case maker in Japan due to illness and now have them made in Canada
in Victoria. We decided to standardize to only two sizes to make it affordable for us and reasonable
for the maker. We order them 20 at a time from him so he can set up to do a bunch at once. I am sorry we
cannot do special ones any more, it was fun when we could order them to size. If at some point we find someone
to make them again to size we will be interested. It did mean we always had extra cases, so that was a problem as
we still had to pay for them. You see the dilemma.
My best
Barbara

• [Back to message index]

Message 4
From: Barbara Mason
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:50:07 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37254] Re: New Baren Digest (HTML) V45 #4570 (Oct 10, 2008)
Send Message: To this poster

Lana,
I can sympathize and as soon as you make what you think will sell, it doesn't.
I think being an artist is the best but the hardest profession. It takes a lot of guts and a day job. A sad fact of life.
One problem is you need to be three people, the creator, the business person and the sales person. A hard act. Maybe we all need a wife.
My best
Barbara


>-- Be true to yourself? Sure, after you pay the light bill.
>-jaded Lana

• [Back to message index]

Message 5
From: Shireen Holman
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:44:04 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37255] selling work
Send Message: To this poster

What an odd idea, that one shouldn't want to sell one's work. If you
are a doctor, unless you are independently wealthy, you ask people to
pay for your services. Same goes for lawyers. Musicians get paid for
performing. Actors are paid for playing parts in movies or on stage.
Why should visual artists somehow not want to get paid for their work?
It definitely is harder, because, as Barbara pointed out, artists have
to learn how to be sales people as well. Unfortunately many of us,
such as me, are not good at that!

Shireen

************************************************
Shireen Holman, Printmaker and Book Artist
email: shireen@shireenholman.com
http://www.shireenholman.com

• [Back to message index]

Message 6
From: "Louise Cass"
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:31:27 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37256] RE: Selling work and postage
Send Message: To this poster

Hi all who've been discussing wanting or needing to sell one's work - if
it's in reference to what I wrote earlier on - the point I was really
making, in a way, is that with so many producing art as evidenced in all the
art association exhibitions in Japan e.g. full of part time 'amateurs' as
well as 'professionals - how much of the population is there left (in any
country for that matter) to buy these works??!! I'm not talking
personally - we all have to attempt to look after our own needs but
philosophically this is a subject to ponder.
Is everyone buying each other's work? Where and what exactly is this market?
I'm excepting the huge international market that deals in 'superstars' which
is quite something else....

Maybe work can be justified to families by confessing as Benny has that " I
am discontented if I am not creating" so please humour and put up with me?!

Louise

(My work may be viewed at www.LCassArt.com)

• [Back to message index]

Message 7
From: "Eva Pietzcker"
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:00:50 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37257] Re: Online exhibition ...
Send Message: To this poster

Hallo Dave,

regarding your posting about the different people doing mokuhan or etching etc., bias or not, I would like to
know more about that. How does that come in your opinion? Might that still be a residue from the Meiji era when
Western culture was modern and exciting? How is the appreciation of mokuhan today in Japan?

Kind regards--

Eva


----------------------------------

Eva Pietzcker

www.pietzcker.de

www.druckstelle.info

----------------------------------

• [Back to message index]

Message 8
From: J Cloutier
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:37:15 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37258] why sell?
Send Message: To this poster

Why do people want to sell their artwork?

Partly for the thrill of affirmation. If someone buys a piece, it has
a measurable value. But also - it clears them out of the house so you
have room to make more! (The family can only absorb so much as
Christmas gifts.)

Jane Cloutier

• [Back to message index]

Message 9
From: "Ellen Shipley"
Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:04:22 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37259] Re: Want to Exhibit/Sell Focus
Send Message: To this poster

ArtSpot Out
Benny in studio opined:
Myself, I create art because no other behaviors (well, mostly) bring me as much joy. I am discontented if I am not creating.

I can relate. I am discontented when I am not creating as well. Creating is a Zen experience. There is great satisfaction in finishing a piece, but then the discontent begins to creep in and I have to be working on something new.

At the moment I have a surplus of projects, so I'm good. ;-] Then there are always the seasonal and periodic exchanges to look forward to, should I run dry.

Sales bring the icing factor...

Looking forward to that part. ;-j Actually, I'm not really. Selling something only means more work -- packing, weighing, mailing, fretting.... The amount of money I can command (plead?) is no compensation for the effort. I'm sure there is some amount that would molify me, but I don't anticipate getting that any time soon. ;-p

I do like people liking my work enough to plunk down hard, cold cash though. That's an atta-girl. ;-]

Ellen Shipley

• [Back to message index]

Message 10
From: ArtSpotiB # aol.com
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:28:33 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37260] Re: selling work
Send Message: To this poster

Shireen...

I think that many find it difficult to sell/give away their work because:
1. It's feels like selling your children
2. You might never create anything as good
3. It might be a marker piece, only you don't know yet
4. It might not be respected/last

I never hit this stage but for very early on.... Perhaps it's a stage that
one needs to go through?

This is a wonderful topic that I'm so glad we're discussing.

ArtSpot Out
Benny Alba in studio
Printmaking with Benny Alba by Benny Alba | Dan…



Be not to hasty to trust or admire the teachers of morality; they discourse
like angels but they live like men. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer
(1709-1784)

• [Back to message index]

Message 11
From: ArtSpotiB # aol.com
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:32:03 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37261] Say, did I remind everyone to get going for Exchange #38?
Send Message: To this poster

Maria, yours has arrived! All others, looking forward to them.

ArtSpot Out
Benny Alba in studio
California Society of Printmakers



Be not to hasty to trust or admire the teachers of morality; they discourse
like angels but they live like men. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer
(1709-1784)

• [Back to message index]

Message 12
From: Marissa
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:39:09 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37262] Re: selling work
Send Message: To this poster

I can see that but I too only went through that phase very briefly very early on. Now I want my children to go explore the world! And I am forever grateful that they have traveled far better than their mother. If I could go to the places my art has ended up in before I died I would be a happy woman

• [Back to message index]

Message 13
From: Graham Scholes
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:42:26 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37263] Re: Kiyoshi Saito
Send Message: To this poster

That is interesting feed back..... Different strokes I guess.

It is the first time I have heard this about his work being
compared to the illustrative aspects of Norman Rockwell ... seems
a little off beat.... The imagery of these artist‘s work is the total
opposite end of the spectrum.

I guess it depends on who you talk to. I did not get that
feed back when I was in Japan with Master Printmaker
Noboru Sawai from Vancouver BC former Professor of
Printmaking for the University of Calgary.

Thank goodness we don’t all do or think like the other guy.

Regards

Graham Scholes
Director of Canadian Artists’ Representation
le front des artistes canadiens - CARFAC BC
Former President of Federation of Canadian Artist
Former Chair of McLaren Art Centre... Ontario.
Former Director of Lakes Shore Artists Assoc. Montreal

• [Back to message index]

Message 14
From: Dave Bull
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:13:41 GMT
Subject: [Baren 37264] Re: Online exhibition ...
Send Message: To this poster

Eva wrote:

> ... regarding your posting about the different people doing mokuhan or
> etching etc., bias or not, I would like to know more about that. How
> does that come in your opinion?

Well, contemporary printmaking here in Japan really isn't my field, and
I know very little about it, so it's best if I don't spout off too
much.

The other day, I posted links to two 'associations', and we saw that
one was (mostly) woodblock, and (mostly) figurative, and the other was
(mostly) etching, etc., and (mostly) abstract. But I don't think it
would be accurate to make that into a very wide generalization.

Take a look at the stuff on display at Yoseido Gallery, the largest
gallery specializing in modern prints in Japan:
http://www.yoseido.com/

They have a facility that lets you browse their catalogue by genre
(woodblock, etc.) and just taking a quick 'stroll' through some pages
now, I see that there are actually plenty of examples of prints that
don't fit the pat generalization I made; there are indeed plenty of
abstract woodblocks, as well as figurative etchings.

I suspect that my generalization fits best at the casual/amateur level
of printmaking - which is _vast_ here in Japan. The local culture
centre has printmaking classes, but only in woodblock. These classes
are filled with hobby printmakers, and as a matter of course, these
people make mostly figurative works. Classes like this are held all
over this country, both in public community centres, and in private
culture classes.

Remember too that it's next to impossible to keep an etching press in
one's own home here - nobody but nobody has room for a 'studio' - so
almost all casual printmakers work in woodblock as a matter of
practicality; you can of course do it on a table top, then clean things
away and make dinner.

To get access to an etching press, you have to take some courses at an
art college, or some other such facility, and the people who do that
are probably the kind of people who are thinking 'arty', rather than
just 'having fun making stuff'.

> How is the appreciation of mokuhan today in Japan?

Well, as I mentioned, it's everywhere. Any bookstore will have a
selection of recent books on 'how to'; NHK often runs woodblock courses
on their education channel; and classes are all over the place. Pretty
much none of the people involved at that level consider themselves
'artists'; they would be using the word 'shumi' (hobby). They don't
really expect to sell anything, but when their group has its annual
exhibition (rental fee paid for by each member chipping in), you do see
red dots here and there, mostly from members and friends buying each
others' stuff.

So woodblock printmaking at this level is very 'happy and healthy' here
in Japan. And a lot of the work is very attractive - and very competent
- as you have seen from some of those links I posted.

(I'm hoping Baren member George Jarvis will jump in here soon and post
some more information about this topic; he is a member of one of the
art associations here in Japan (I don't remember which one), and could
fill us in with more 'real' information than I am able to ...)

Dave

• [Back to message index]

• Subscribe/Unsubscribe to [Baren] here
• Switch your Digest subscription between 'Plain Text' and HTML here
• Upload your image to be used in these Digests here
• Most recent statistics on our website are here
• Contact the group managers here
• [Baren] members: if you have a printmaking blog, or a website with a published ATOM feed, and wish it to be included in our daily checklist, please write to the Baren Blog Manager here. (If your blog also contains material other than woodblock-related items, we can only add you if the woodblock posts will be 'labeled' as such. The Blog Managers can provide details.)
• A list of Blogs/Sites currently being tracked by our feed scraper is here