Dec 24, 2022
The importance of passion cannot be understated. It can be
a wonderful and beautiful thing, and if it's made into a positive
part of not only one's own life but for others as well; it's a
passion worth pursuing.
On this episode of The Unfinished Print I speak with mokuhanga
collector, scholar and instructor, Carol Dorman. Having seen her
work and lectures with the Japan Foundation Toronto, on various
topics on ukiyo-e history and culture, I found
her knowledge and story to be of great interest.
I speak with Carol about her journey from working at the CBC for
the national news, to working side by side with Stuart Jackson, a
mokuhanga gallery owner here in Toronto. Carol speaks on her love
of the ukiyo-e period of Japanese woodblock prints,
her collecting, how that world has changed dramatically during her
time at The Stuart Jackson Gallery, and we discuss her work at the
LIFE Institute of Toronto where she teaches and instructs age 50+
students about ukiyo-e history.
Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own
mokuhanga work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints or
email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com
Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on
the highlighted word or phrase.
Artists works follow
after the note. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise
noted.
Regina, Saskatchewan - is the capital of the
Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. Located on the land of the Cree,
Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and Métis peoples, it is the
16th most populace city in Canada. The city has many
restaurants, museums, and other places of interest. More info can
be found at Tourism Regina, here.
University of Toronto - considered a
public research university, U of T is located in the city of
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was founded in 1827. It has educated
any number of famous Canadian authors, scientists, politicians, and
the like. More info,
here.
Stuart Jackson Gallery - is a ukiyo-e
specific gallery located at 882 Queen Street W. in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. It has been doing business in Toronto for almost
fifty years. More info, here.
The Royal Ontario Museum - also known as The
ROM, is an art, world culture, and natural history museum in the
city of Toronto, and is one of the oldest museums in the city. More
info, here.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - also
known as the CBC, is a Canadian Federal Crown corporation and is
the oldest broadcasting network in Canada. Founded in 1936, the CBC
broadcasts news, original programming, and sports throughout Canada
and the world. They broadcast via various digital platforms as well
as terrestrial platforms such as television and radio. More
info, here.
Meiji Period of Japan (1868-1912)- the Meiji
Period in Japanese history is synonymous with turmoil and regime
change. The Meiji Period is named after Prince Mutsuhito
(1852-1912), who became Emperor after his fathers death, Emperor
Kōmei (1846-1867). Mutsuhito’s reign came at the end of the Keiō
Era, (1865-1868), until his own death in 1912.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) - is considered
one of the last “masters” of the ukiyo-e genre of Japanese
woodblock printmaking. His designs range from landscapes, samurai
and Chinese military heroes, as well as using various formats for
his designs such as diptychs and triptychs.
Tsuzoku Suikoden Goketsu
Hyakuhachi-nin no Hitori (津属水滸伝後けつ百八人にの一人 ca. 1827)
Utagawa Kunisada
(1786-1865) - arguably one of the more important woodblock print
designers, Kunisada designed many types of prints, from landscape,
books, erotica, sumo etc. Kunisada worked during the period
of ukiyo-e history with Andō Hiroshige (1797-1858), Katsushika
Hokusai (1760-1849), and the above mentioned Kuniyoshi. Defintely a
rich and abundant period in Japanese woodblock print
history.
Oni Azami Seikichi (鬼あざみ清吉)
1859
Yorkville, Toronto - Yorkville is a
neighbourhood located in the heart of Toronto. It has a rich
history, politically and culturally. It has become a high end
neighbourhood in the city, with many expensive shops, luxury
homes and condos. It is famous for once being the hotbed of folk
music in the world, outside of New York City, in the 1960’s.
Performers such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan amongst
others performed in the various clubs in the
neighbourhood.
2008 Financial Crisis - was a world wide
financial crisis which started in 2007 and lasted throughout 2008
and onwards. This crisis affected housing, mortgages, the
automotive industry, and world economic markets.
David Kutcher is the owner and operator of
Moonlit Sea Prints, located in Easthampton, Massachusetts. His
interview with The Unfinished Print can be found,
here.
Fading of Japanese woodblock prints - certain
colours, especialy in
ukiyo-e period prints (beni), are
known to fade over time. Since pigments in mokuhanga are generally
water based, they will fade naturally, but more quickly if located
near sunlight. There are many reasons why your print will fade, so
the website
Viewing Japanese Prints has written a fine
article regarding those very reasons, amongst other ways you can
protect your mokuhanga collection. You can find that article,
here.
The Kentler International Drawing Space - is
an art gallery located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. It has
hosted several mokuhanga centred exhibitions. The most recent was
Between Worlds as hosted by
The Mokuhanga Sisters, from July
17 - July 31, 2022. More info,
here.
Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY - is a neighbourhood
in Brooklyn, New York. Once called South Brooklyn and once an
industrial area, Red Hook has evolved over time to house many New
Yorkers who are looking to be close to Manhattan and still be able
to afford a home. There is a great New York Times article,
here, which explores the history of this fascinating
area.
Doi Hangaten - is a mokuhanga print
publisher located in Tōkyō, Japan. Once a publisher of prints
associated with the
shin-hanga movement of the ealry
twentieth century, the company continues to publish reproductions
of famous Japanese prints, in the old ways. Most recently, the Doi
family have collaborated with David Bull and Mokuhankan to publish
new verions of some of the old blocks from almost 100 years ago.
More info about the Doi Hangaten can be found
here,
here and
here.
The collaboration videos produced by Mokuhankan regarding the Doi
family and the subsequant collaboration can be found,
here.
LIFE Institute - is a learning facility for
adults age 50+. The LIFE Institute began in 1991, and has a
membership of 2500 today. The institute offers high quality
education in the Arts, Humanities, Science and Technology, amongst
others. Courses are conducted in person or online. More info can be
found,
here.
The National Gallery of
Art - is a free art gallery located in Washington D.C.
Founded by financier Andrew W. Mellon. The West building was
constructed in 1941. The gallery houses more than 150,000 pieces of
art and is dedicated to education and culture. More info can be
found,
here.
Itō Jakuchū (1716-1800) - was a Japanese
painter who painted in silk. His work can be seen in scrolls
(
kakemono), sliding doors (
fusuma), and folding
screens (
byōbu). Known for his wild style of painting,
Jackuchū’s most popular theme is of birds. There are many books
wirtten about Jackuchū and his life and times. More info can be
found,
here , to
get you started.
Rooster (18th Century)
Nishiki-e
(錦絵) - is the Japanese phrase for colour woodblock prints,
otherwise known as brocade pictures.
Ogata Gekkō (1859-1920) - was a painter,
illustrator and mokuhanga designer. Gekkō’s work has a delightful
water colour style, where the subjects seem to be floating and
light, regardless of whether the subject is a beautiful woman or a
ghostly fox. Gekkō's subject matter ranged from landscapes, to
mythology. Ogata Gekkō had a full career, from working with many
publishers for his print designs to founding various art
associations. More information about the life and career of Ogata
Gekkō can be found,
here,
on David Humphries’ fantastic website about the artist.
Drawing Water from Yoro Waterfall
— 養老孝子瀧を汲の図 (1896)
Prussian Blue - is
a dark blue pigment, which has been used by painters, and mokuhanga
printmakers. The pigment has been used in Europe since the 18th
Century, and in Japan since around 1820, having been imported by
Europeans into Japan.
Evolution of Pigments in
Mokuhanga - the evolution of pigments in mokuhanga began
with hand painting in the later 17th Century, to the multi coloured
prints of
ukiyo-e, shin hanga, and
sōsaku hanga.
More info regarding the pigment evolution can be found,
here, at the Library of Congress.
The Japan Foundation - is a not for profit
organization established in 1972, with many offices located around
the world. The Japan Foundation Toronto has been active in the city
since 1990. More info,
here
for the JF worldwide, and
here for Toronto.
Elizabeth Forrest - is an award-winning
Canadian artist and mokuhanga prinmaker. She has been producing
mokuhanga since the late 1980’s when she lived and studied in
Kyoto. She has studied with the late Akira Kurosaki (1937-2019).
More info about Elizabeth’s work can be found,
here.
And It Began To Rain (2014)
Akira
Kurosaki 黒崎彰 (1937-2019) - one of the most
influential woodblock print artists of the modern era. His work,
while seemingly abstract, moved people with its vibrant colour and
powerful composition. He was a teacher and invented the “
Disc
Baren,” which is a great baren to begin your mokuhanga journey
with. At the 2021 Mokuhanga Conference in Nara, Japan there was a
tribute exhibit of his
life works.
Azusa Gallery has a nice selection of his work,
here.
Taurus (1973)
Barbara Wybou - is
a Canadian mokuhanga artists who lived, worked, and studied in
Japan for twenty years. Her home these days is Toronto where she
continues to work on her mokuhanga. Notably she studied with the
late Tōshi Yoshida (1911-1995). Her work can be found,
here.
Rats 3
Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900)
- was a Japanese woodblock designer of the Utagawa
School of artists. His work flourished in the Meiji Period
(1868-1912) of Japanese history, a period of immense change
politically, economically, and industrially. Some of Kunichika’s
works can be found,
here.
Onoe Kikugorō V as The British
Spencer (1894)
War prints & Japanese
Imperialism - as Japan entered the Pacific Theatre of
war (1941-1945) with the United States, the fascist military
government had complete power in Japan at the time, and used
woodblock prints, as well as other mediums such as lithography and
photography, to propagandize their war effort. Printmakers such as
Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) even got involved in producing prints that
helped the war effort. He designed several war prints during this
time period. Prints such as
The Red Setting
Sun, is a prime example of how the times and aesthetic
show a relatively innocuous scene of figures (Japanese soldiers)
riding on horses with a setting sun back drop. For more detailed
information regarding war time prints I suggest,
Conflicts
of Interest: Art and War in Modern Japan, ed. Philip K.
Hu w/ Rhiannon Paget, and
The Politics of
Painting by Asato Ikeda. My interview with Rhiannon Paget
PhD can be found,
here.
Russo-Japanese War (February 8, 1904 -
September 5, 1905) - was a war between two colonial powers, the
Imperial Russian and Imperial Japanese military, taking place in
China. Information about its background can be found
here at
history.com, and
here.
bijin-ga - (美人画) is the Japanese term for
beautiful women in mokuhanga.
Itō Shinsui (1898-1972) After
Washing Her Hair (1936)
yakusha-e - (役者絵)
is the Japanese term for actor prints in mokuhanga.
Utagawa Yoshiiku (1833-1904)
Oyama Doll - Ichikawa Udanji (1893)
Taishō
Period (1912-1926) -
a short lived period of Japanese modern history but an important
one in world history. This is where the militarism of fascist Japan
began to take seed, leading to The Pacific War (1931-1945). More
info can be found,
here.
hanmoto system - is the Edo Period
(1603-1868) collaboration system of making woodblock prints in
Japan. The system was about using, carvers, printers, and craftsmen
by various print publishers in order to produce woodblock prints.
The system consisted of the following professions; publisher,
artist, carver, and printer.
Yamato Take no Mikoto with His Sword Kusanagi
- is the print by Ogata Gekkō which Carol mentions as one of
her favourite
prints.
Oliver Statler
(1915-2002) - was an American author and scholar and
collector of mokuhanga. He had been a soldier in World War 2,
having been stationed in Japan. After his time in the war Statler
moved back to Japan where he wrote about Japanese prints. His
interests were of many facets of Japanese culture such as
accommodation and the 88 Temple Pilgrimage of Shikoku. Oliver
Statler, in my opinion, wrote one of the most important books on
the sōsaku-hanga movement, “Modern Japanese Prints: An Art
Reborn.”
John Stevenson - is an American author
who has written extenisvely on Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
(1839-1892).
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡 芳年) was
a mokuhanga designer who is famous for his prints depicting
violence and gore. His work is powerful, colourful, and one of the
last vibrant moments of the ukiyo-e genre of woodblock prints. More
information about Yoshitoshi’s life and his
copious amount of work can be found, here.
The Flower of Edo (1858)
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川
國芳) - was a print designer and painter known for his
triptychs, yoko-e (horizontal landscape prints),
Yokohama-e (prints with Yokohama as its subject), and yakusha-e
(actor prints). Considered as one of the last of the "golden age"
print designers of the ukiyo-e genre.
Ichikawa Kodanji IV as the ghost of
Asakura Togo (possibly 1851)
Kunisada/Kuniyoshi
Exhibit - was an art exhibition held at the Museum of
Fine Arts Boston from August 11 - December 10, 2017. There was also
an excellent catalogue printed for this show and would add to any
woodblock print fan’s library. more info, here.
The book I reference about Toyohara Kunichika is "Time Present
and Time Past of a Forgotten Master: Toyohara Kunichika
1835-1900"
There are various online print
collections that the aspiring mokuhanga scholar can seek out to
help in their studies. The Library of Congress has their collection
online, as does ukiyo-e.org, who have various impressions af their
prints throughout their website.
Scholten Japanese Art
- is a mokuhanga focused art gallery located in midtown Manhattan.
It was founded by René Scholten, an avid collector of the Japanese
print. More info can be found, here.
Acadia Books - is a
vintage and unique used bookstore located at Sherbourne and Queent
St. East in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In my opinion it is one of
the best bookstores I have had the priviledge to visit. More info,
here.
© Popular Wheat Productions
opening and closing musical credit - intro music
is Spill Yer Lungs and outro music
is Tailor both by Julie Doiron from her
album I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day (2009) on
Jagjaguar Records
logo designed and produced by Douglas Batchelor and André
Zadorozny
Disclaimer: Please do not reproduce or use anything from this
podcast without shooting me an email and getting my express written
or verbal consent. I'm friendly :)
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***The opinions expressed by guests in The Unfinished Print
podcast are not necessarily those of André Zadorozny and of Popular
Wheat Productions.***
