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The Unfinished Print : A Mokuhanga Podcast


Feb 12, 2022

Carol Wilhide Justin creates woodblock prints that are ethereal, and mysterious. They create a sense of emptiness and space, working together to bring the viewer into Carol’s world.

In this episode of The Unfinished Print I talk to Carol Wilhide Justin where we speak on her personal experience in Japan, by stepping out of her comfort zone, adapting to life’s constant flux, and how memory plays into her artistic pursuits. We also speak on her teaching, eduction and the relationships she’s made along the way.

Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own print work on Instagram @popular_wheatprints, Twitter @unfinishedprint, or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com

Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase.

Keiko Kadota - (d. 2017) was a director of MI Lab and of Nagasawa Art Park, previously. She was a mentor to many mokuhanga practitioners and helped to promote mokuhanga around the world.

Kickstarter - started in 2009, Kickstarter is an online platform and Public Benefit Corporation used to promote and raise money for independent projects which cannot receive funding by other means. 

Narita, Chiba, Japan - is a city located roughly 70km from the city of Tōkyō. Known predominantly as the home to Narita International Airport, the city and its environs have a long and rich history unto itself. For tourist information, here. For the history of protest in the area, here

Lawson and Family Mart - are two ubiquitous convenience stores located throughout the Japanese archipelago and around the world. They vary in quality throughout but mostly have cheap and plentiful food. More info, here, and here.

International Mokuhanga Conference - a conference focusing  on mokuhanga bringing together mokuhanga practitioners and instructors from all over the world. Started in 2011 and is to be held every three years, but was held in 2021 because of the pandemic. More info, here.

The Mokuhanga Sisters - are a mokuhanga collective consisting of Yoonmi Nam, Mariko Jesse, Lucy May Schofield, Melissa Schulenberg, Kate MacDonagh, Katie Baldwin, Mia-O, Patty Hudak, and Natasha Norman. Instagram

hangitō - a Japanese carving knife which is primarily used for mokuhanga, which comes in a variety of blade sizes.  McClains has a varied assortment, here.

Royal College of Art and Design - is a postgraduate art university located in London, England. More information, here.

Kenzō Tange - (1913-2005) was an award winning architect, teacher, and urban planner celebrated throughout the world for his  design of the Hiroshima Peace Center and Memorial Park. More info, here.

A1 Size - paper which is 23-3/8 x 33-1/8 inches in size. 

No More, Not Yet -  are two works made by Carol for her RCA Degree show in 2017. They can be found, here.

itabokashi - is a type of bokashi which is created through affecting the wood block through knife or sandpaper. Here is what Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950) has written in his book Japanese Wood-Block Printing (1939), “Use sandpaper on the block where ita-bokashi is desired, rubbing it down towards the end. A better result may be obtained, however, by finishing the end with a knife, as the colour does not adhere well to a surface rubbed with sandpaper. The place where ita-bokashi is desired should be cut down gradually to the level of the space cleared away. I have used it for clouds; but I found it necessary to wipe the block with a wet cloth in addition in order to obtain the desired effect. Some artists may be able to utilize this method of ita-bokashi to better advantage.”

Tuula Moilanen - is a mokuhanga printmaker and instructor based in Helsinki, Finland. She is the founder of the Finnish Woodcut Artists Society, and has been an instructor at MI Lab. website

William Morris - (1834-1896) was a British creative and political Socialist who worked in design, textiles and poetry during the burgeoning Arts & Crafts Movement (1880-1920). The V&A have a fine history about Morris, here. 

Banksy - is a modern street, pop artist and activist based in the UK. Not much is known about the person but their work is known all over the world. More info, here.

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was an influential artist and filmmaker who ushered in the genre of art, considered as "pop art."

Bethnal Green - is an area in East London and is famous for its estate and council housing which has been a large part of its history since the 19th Century.  More history can be found, here.

Mark Rothko - (1903-1970) was a New York based artist who’s use of emotion through colour made him one of the most preeminent artists of his time. More info can be found, here from The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. 

reduction printmaking colloquially known as “suicide prints,” is a form of printmaking where the printmaker cuts away from a  wood or Lino block , printing as they go.  More info can be found, here from Mesh Gallery.

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair - located in Woolwich Arsenal, London is a popular print fair showcasing printmakers of mediums from all over the world. More info, here.

Michel Foucault - (1926-1984) was an historian and philosopher attributed to structuralism ( human activity as part of a constructed system) and post-structuralism (the fluidity of life as associated with structuralism). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy has a thorough history of Foucault, here.

Morley College - opened in 1889 and  located in London, England  Morley College is a school which offers many different types of subjects for study. More info can be found, here

caligo pigment - is an oil based lithography pigment which is soluble when wet and is non-toxic. Cranfield sells them, here

The Art's Society - is a non-profit charitable organization based in London, England. It attempts to bring people from all over, together through the arts. website

opening and closing credit music - So I Can Grow by Cold Showers from Love and Regret (2012)

© Popular Wheat Productions

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.***