[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Wednesday, 7 October 1998 Volume 05 : Number 304 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 09:48:51 -0600 Subject: [Baren 1808] Re: Baren Digest V5 #303 I too want to thank Mary for her insights. I guess a lot of us might have felt intimidated by the recent discussions on professionalism. Probably Bill Steiner didn't mean to scare everyone away, but that's kind of what happened. A lot of us don't do the big editions, especially me because my whole purpose with woodblock printmaking is to make an image I like for a book I might be creating. The Baren Exchange will be a challenge for me, but I look forward to it. Anyway, thank you Mary. We needed that. Gayle Wohlken ------------------------------ From: Bill Ritchie Date: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 07:10:18 -0700 Subject: [Baren 1809] Re: Baren Digest V5 #303 (Good grief, said Bill Ritchie, I seem to be joined at the head with Richard!) : ) ------------------------------ From: StudioJNC@aol.com Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 10:09:51 EDT Subject: [Baren 1810] Re: Baren Digest V5 #303 Mary Your post on Professionalism was just what I needed to hear. I very rarely make editions of over 25. I have so many images in my mind that I want to get on to the next one. I call myself a professional; I draw, paint and now print. While I respect What Steiner said, we all have different points of view and different goals! That is what art is all about , diversity and creativity. David and many others make unllimited editions, some make 200 plus editions, some make 5 editions. That does not make them unprofessional. That is their choice. Viva la difference!! Jeanne ------------------------------ From: David Bull Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 20:56:25 +0900 Subject: [Baren 1811] Re: Printing and Profession Mary wrote (among a lot of other interesting things): > ... with printmaking being considered a lesser art, practised by > those whose technical skill outreaches their artistic vision ... Mary, I'm pretty isolated from these sorts of viewpoints here, but it is surprising for me to hear that there are people with this view. Woodblock seems to me to be the _least_ technical of the print crafts. I have seen quite a lot of work by etchers and lithographers that seems to fit that viewpoint much more closely than we do. They've got all the heavy machinery ... the oily stuff ... the blankets ... the press bars ... this and that - endless things to fidget with; it seems to attract the kind of person who loves to be involved with the 'technique' of printmaking, to the detriment of simple artistic vision. But woodblock? With the exception of the rather perverse kind of work that _I_ do, 'technical skill' doesn't really seem to have much to do with it. I know that we are considered a 'lesser art', but I had always thought that this was _because_ it is so simple and non-technical ... Dave B. ------------------------------ From: Ray Esposito Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 08:50:17 -0400 Subject: [Baren 1812] Re: Printing and Profession Dave wrote: >I have seen quite a lot of work by etchers and lithographers that seems >to fit that viewpoint much more closely than we do. They've got all the >heavy machinery ... the oily stuff ... the blankets ... the press bars >... this and that - endless things to fidget with; it seems to attract >the kind of person who loves to be involved with the 'technique' of >printmaking, to the detriment of simple artistic vision. Dave I have to take issue with the last sentence. It is a little insulting to suggest that if an artist loves to be involved with "technique" that simple artist vision suffers. A simple artistic vision does not rely on technique. An artist can have vision, simple or otherwise regardless of technique. To suggest that my (my in the universal not personal sense) artistic vision suffers because I choose to use a press instead of a baren is a non-starter. Or am I misinterpeting your phrase? >I know that we are considered a 'lesser art', but I had always thought >that this was _because_ it is so simple and non-technical ... I am intriqued by the thought that woodblock is a 'lesser' art. Where does this term come from? Woodblock artists produce as much 'high art' as any other medium. I am curious where this term comes from and how it is being used here. I just may not understand the terms origins. Call it continuing education. Cheers P.S. On a personal note. I got the latest prints but haven't opened them. I will wait until after the relocation and will open it for Christmas. I did look on your web page and was teased. Looking forward to the rest of this years issue. Ray Esposito ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V5 #304 ***************************