[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking.

Baren Digest              Sunday, 6 December 1998      Volume 05 : Number 365

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From: Steiner <steiner@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp>
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 15:49:33 +0900
Subject: [Baren 2251] Joyous events 

from Richard Steiner/Kyoto
Two events befell me last week which I want to share with the other
Barenettes (or whatever we are called).  Both are causes for big smiles.
One was the pulling of the proofs for my contribution to the Baren Print
Exchange.  11 colors in my favorite palette and with a theme I am presently
concerned with, it is quite an excellent example of the kind of work I do.
I am really looking forward to hearing from the other contributors their
opinions on it, as I am sure we all are.  The title is ONLY PUPPIES and I
will add a note of explanation with each print, since there are no puppies
in the piece.
The second reason to do cartwheels over to the favored ice cream parlor is
that I crafted a new knife I had been wanting for a while.  I was carving
(CARVING!) a small block and trying to clear out unwanted wood using a 2mm
clearing knife.  It was too small for the job, but the next size was 6mm,
too wide.  I have over the years collected hundreds of knives, the vast
majority unused but not thrown away.  I looked for one with a 4.5mm wide
shank, found a basic diagonal carving knife, and decided to rework its edge
into the shape of a clearing blade.  With a motor sharpener adapted for
doing this sort of thing, in less than a half hour I had the long wanted
knife before me.  It carves like a charm, sharpens easily, is the envy of
everyone and fits in my hands perfectly after sawing the handle in half to
get a better balance.  My first teacher used to make nearly all his knives,
some of which I now have.  They are wonders.  I suppose some printmakers in
Japan still craft their knives;  it is a great feeling but requires no
little skill.  There are also some people who make their own paper, but I
draw the line there.  That skill demands years of concentrated study, which
I am not of a mind to do.
Steiner/Kyoto

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From: Steiner <steiner@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp>
Date: Sun, 6 Dec 1998 15:49:29 +0900
Subject: [Baren 2252] Keeping records, etc. 

from Richard Steiner/Kyoto
To add a little to this discussion: when I first began to study woodblock
printmaking, now about 28 years ago, at the same time I started to record
every print project I did.  I bought a spiral notebook, reserved the first
page for the index, then devoted one page to each project as I finished it.
When I pulled the proofs, I entered the data concerning the prints.  I
continue to do this. Mostly, I write about where the idea came from, what I
am trying to show in the print, any special techniques used, and other such
things.  Below that information, I used to keep very careful records of who
got what, what they paid or if it was a gift, and what edition number they
got.
However, I rarely do editions.  Roger wonders if he should or not.  My
advice is not to.  Here in Japan, there is no tradition of doing editions;
100 prints were printed, and when (if) they were all sold, a decision was
made as to whether to print another 100 or not, taking into consideration
how well the first 100 sold.  I loath editioning prints, tho I do it when
pressured.  It makes no sense to me, however.  If I make a really popular
print, why would I want to hamstring myself economically by printing only
35, for example, when I could almost live off its endless sales?  Likewise,
if I make a dumb print and it is editioned and I have printed the whole
run, how am I going to be able to sell or even give it away?  And how do I
justify the cost of all that paper?  I have done some really popular
prints, two so much so that I have had to recarve new blocks, the original
ones having worn away.  And I have made some lu-lu's, too, which were
trashed the following day, losing only about 5 sheets of washi.
All this information goes into the notebooks, which number 15 now.  I have
made almost 400 prints over the years, and I have keep a written record of
every one.  As for putting all this information into a Mac, I still like
the pencil and pen so will not change.  And as for keeping detailed
financial records, like Dave wrote he has done, when I start to really pull
in the big bucks from this sport, then I may do it.  In the meantime, the
money just flows into my hands, rests for a moment, then drifts off leaving
hardly a shadow.  I am in awe of how I remain afloat all these years.  The
one merit derived from this way of living, is that I have never in my life
paid any income taxes to any government, a fact I am quite proud of.
Steiner/Kyoto

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From: David Bull <davebull@woodblock.com>
Date: Sun, 06 Dec 1998 19:30:46 +0900
Subject: [Baren 2253] Comments ... 

Jean wrote:
> I was wondering if anyone on Baren knows anything about 
> the artist Sirizaka or his/her work.

None of us have been able to help you Jean, so I suggest you head on
over to:
http://www.shogungallery.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html
and post your query to the 'Chats on Japanese Prints' there.  This kind
of question frequently comes up on that forum, and usually gets a
response from somebody who knows the answer.

***

Matt mentioned:
> interest in the US for contemporary prints using historic 
> Japanese methods is so strong ...

This is indeed very interesting to hear.  I for one, would very much
appreciate hearing anything that anybody knows about this.

That there is great interest in historic Japanese methods I know from
seeing the Encyclopedia logs.  182 complete copies of the Fletcher and
Tokuno books have been downloaded, and that doesn't count people reading
them 'on-line' ...

> in New York City alone, several galleries specialize purely 
> in this area

Amazing ... although hardly credible.  Who are all those printmakers? 
Matt, please let us know what you hear back from your inquiry ...

***

Richard wrote:
> I have never in my life paid any income taxes to any 
> government, a fact I am quite proud of.

Richard, although your profit/loss status is absolutely none of my 
business, I do wish to express my disappointment to hear that you are
'proud' like this.  If everybody felt that way then I don't think we would
have a very 'livable' society ...

I receive immense - incalculable - benefit from living in an organized 
society, and do not begrudge contributing to its organization and maintenance.

Dave

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End of Baren Digest V5 #365
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