Jul 23, 2024
Mokuhanga is an art form of the physical. It is the use of our hands which carve, brush, and print, ultimately creating the final product. Through the physical act of making, mokuhanga carvers and printmakers explore themselves through their work, while at the same time producing a philosophy on how they see their own mokuhanga and the mokuhanga community at large.
On this episode of The Unfinished Print, I speak with printmaker Andy Farkas. Andy is an American mokuhanga printmaker, mentor, and teacher who has explored in great detail what it means to create, the philosophies and sacrifices it takes to try and understand the simple question of “why?” Why create, why make, and why pursue a passion with an unknown conclusion? I speak with Andy about his mokuhanga, his materials, and how he approaches his prints. We discuss how Andy explores mokuhanga as an intellectual pursuit through the expressions of documentary, instruction, and writing.
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 if available. Pieces are mokuhanga unless otherwise noted. Dimensions are given if known. Print publishers are given if known.
Andy Farkas - website, Instagram
registration - there are several registration methods in mokuhanga. The traditional method is called the kentō registration, where you carve two notches, straight another an "L." There is also a "floating kentō," which is where the notches are cut in a piece of "L" shaped wood and not on the wood where you are cutting your image, hence "floating." Lastly, there are removable "pins," such as ones made by Ternes Burton.
representational art - is a form of art that attempts to depict subjects as they appear in the real world. It includes anything that portrays objects, figures, or scenes in a recognizable manner. Representational art focuses on representing objects or scenes from reality, such as landscapes, and still lives.
figurative art - is an art form which represents form or shapes in either representational or non representational forms.
serif - is a typographic style of font with a small line or stroke regularly attached to the end of a larger stroke.
gouache: is a water-based paint known for its opaque and vibrant colours. Made from pigment, water, and gum arabic as a binder, it offers artists versatility in creating both translucent washes and opaque layers. Gouache can be reactivated with water and comes in a range of colors, making it a popular choice for various painting techniques.
gum arabic - is a sap from two types of Acacia tree. In art it is used as a binder for pigments which creates viscosity (depending on how much or little is applied to your pigments) for your watercolours and oils. Rachel Levitas has a fine description on how she uses gum arabic in her work, here.
Sinopia Pigments - is a pigment company based in San Francisco and started by Alex Warren in 1995. The company sells natural powdered pigments and milk paints. More info can be found here.
Earth Pigments - is a pigment company based in Hinesburg, Vermont. They sell natural powdered pigments and milk paints. More info can be found here.
Bound To It (11" x 16")
opening and closing credit - Time After Time by Joshua Constantine from the album Soul Project Vol.II (2024)
logo designed and produced by Douglas Batchelor and André Zadorozny
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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.***