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

Baren Digest             Thursday, 31 December 1998     Volume 05 : Number 392

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Subject: [Baren 2442] 
Message duplicated in error ...

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From: Gregory Robison <grobison@swiftuganda.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 15:45:37 +0300
Subject: [Baren 2443] Greetings 

Kampala, 30 December 1998

Dear Bareneers:

I wish to comply with the customs and usages of your Honorable Company by
introducing myself, as Dave suggested, after having lurked for a number of
weeks listening with awe and respect to the weighty exchanges of the elders
of the craft.  

1. What I am doing now

I have cut nine blocks since moving to East Africa in late August, have
pulled about 150 prints from these, have exhibited (locally) once, and am
working on a number of modest projects. I have a small but adequate studio,
equipped with a petit-format etching press (made by my father), a 5 x 8
Kelsey letterpress, some type (Centaur and Arrighi) and the rest of the
lettepress accoutrements.  I also have (and use) a baren -- and a spoon,
the butt of a screw-driver, and my right thumb-nail.  I am also drawing and
doing some watercolor (including hand-coloring some of my prints).

2. Background

As the description of my studio reveals, I come to printmaking via the
typographic tradition. Although I took printmaking many years ago from
Gabor Peterdi at Yale (is he still alive (i.e., making prints)?) and went
through the basic drawing class at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, I really see
printmaking as one of the book arts.  For me, all art is illustration. It's
good to the extent it tells a story, and if that story is also being told
or enhanced by typography, by text, by the paper, by a binding, wonderful!
That's printmaking not as a solo performance but as part of the orchestra.
Of course, few of my prints are in such a context.  It's hard to get the
whole orchestra together.  (Composers write more sonatas than symphonies,
and about ten symphonies kill off even the best ones.) I've got lots of
stuff under glass on walls, too.  (And, of course, great prints often tell
such a story by themselves that they may be best unaccompanied.)

But I immediately understood Dave's otherwise rather austere-sounding
doctrine of keeping prints locked away until the sun is low in the sky and
the electricity is turned off (not a problem here in Kampala).  This is
exactly why prints in a book, if the other elements are executed
intelligently, are so exciting.  You don't see them until the right moment;
you turn the page, and there they are, at the right distance, with the bite
of the paper on your fingertips -- the SOUND of that bite (not a
sound-bite) in your ears as you handle the paper -- and in proper light
(because it's light that has been up until that moment pleasing to read
by)... 

I must confess that the only time I saw prints displayed in the "proper"
Davidian fashion was when I visited Jacob Pins in Jerusalem, who took out
selections from his Japanese "pillar prints" (I've forgotten the Japanese
name for these) for my wife and me to admire, in respectful silence.  Does
anyone know him?  Is he still alive?  He was carving the top of an ironing
board when I visited his studio, which makes for a pleasing, arched and
elongated shape (and I guess you can size the paper with fabric spray).
Does anyone know another Israeli printmaker, Yitzhak Greenfield?  I worked
with him one summer in Ein Karem, but we did mostly watercolor.

In the interests of full disclosure -- and because I know that if these
introductions were done in person I would have to take all my clothes off
in front of the assembled company -- I will reveal what I told Dave in
private, namely, that my blocks have mostly been linoleum, not wood.  I
have nothing against wood (or any other material).  In fact, I expect to
carve some soon, and I look forward to your guidance.  But I am very
sluggish: I can't seem to get away from media I have been struggling with
since first grade.  Linoleum, watercolor, pencil (not "graphite." Pencil).
Even letterpress.  I started setting type when it was still a commercial
technology.   

3. My impression of Baren

If a few of you are still with me at this point, I apologize for the
prolixity of the foregoing. (I excuse myself by the lull in Baren
contributions at the year-end (stupeur de fin d'annee?)). Henceforth,
however, we speak only of the Work.  But before that, allow me one last
general comment, in order to express my admiration for the whole enterprise
- -- the discussion group; the encyclopaedia; the linked web sites; the good
humor, respect and thoughtfulness of the communication between members.
What you have constructed is really exemplary, as we all know from
exploring sites elsewhere in cyberspace.  Of course, the "you" I am
congratulating is really David Bull.  Maintaining a studio with consistent
output while animating this group is a prodigious undertaking.  This could
not be without someone such as you, David, exchanging part of your life to
make it happen.  I am grateful that you have done this.  You are being
honored by the Emperor for something extraordinary that you have done; and
you should be.  I have not seen your prints, and can only congratulate you
on the something "ordinary" you have done that I have seen directly.   

Best wishes for the new solar year to all.

Gregory Robison  

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From: "Ray Esposito" <brassring@brassring.org>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 20:16:23 -0500
Subject: [Baren 2444] Re: Greetings 

Gregory:

Welcome to Baren.  We look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas in the
future.

Cheers

Ray

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From: Gary Luedtke <GLuedtke@compuserve.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 21:50:39 -0500
Subject: [Baren 2445] Greetings 

For  Gregory,

Welcome to the Baren forum, Gregory.    I take it when you referred to "the
weighty exchanges of the elders" you were speaking of Ray and Graham, our
most senior members, as far as I can tell.

It sounds as if you have some experience varied from the main and it'll be
interesting to hear about it.   Good timing also in jumping in just now,
between the waves, things were getting a little too quiet out there.   We
are getting some folks joining in from some exotic places and I hope that=

this will invigorate the woodblock repartee.

If you don't mind elaborating on your introduction a little, I'd like to
hear more.   You sound well travelled, how is it you are now in Uganda?  
Are you an artist by livelihood or are you engaged in some other career as
well?   What is it like where you are?   What is the artistic climate for a
professional artist there?   What type of art printing is done there?  A
little backdrop against which we can picture you at work.   Pleased to
welcome you.

For Fatima,

I am not aware of woodblock printing classes that are conducted in less
than a month.    My friend Keiji Shinohara does teach classes at Wesleyan
College in Connecticut but I imagine they are semester long classes.   Have
you considered an instruction video however?   McClain's Printmaking
Supplies in Portland Oregon, USA offers a video by Izumi Kuroiwa for $80
USD.  I recall someone in Baren Forum mentioning the tape as being helpful,
I have not seen it myself.    Perhaps some other members are aware of
classes of shorter duration.   We may also put it on Dave's agenda to
produce a video,  as he is getting quite a lot of experience lately  being
on camera, and it is in his benevolent nature to be instructional, thank
goodness for us!

Gary
Kansas City, USA

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 20:55:25 -0800
Subject: [Baren 2446] Re: Busy busy busy 

Some one asked the question as to what new stuff I have done in preparation
for my up coming exhibitions.

I have been hard at it and soon as I get back to this thingie  (computer) I
will load the new print onto my site.

Should be about a couple of days.

I also have a neat method of transfering the image to the woodblock. It
puts all other methods on the back burner.
I had hoped to have sent this as a Xmas present to all, but alas too much
to do and too many parties to attend.  " Hic... "

Happy New Year

Graham

ps I am now a flasher......!!!!!!

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From: Jean Eger <jeaneger@LanMinds.Com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 20:53:36 -0800
Subject: [Baren 2447] Re: Triage 

THANK YOU Bill Ritchie, for providing me with my only hearty laugh of the
day.  Yes, I do indeed need triage.  I have been working on my edition all
day and am wondering WHY IN THE WORLD I am trying to make an edition of
rice paste prints for the big shot printmakers in this print exchange, when
I could make a really delightful rolled up oil based ink print.  It is VERY
DIFFICULT to make a consistent edition with rice paste.  Dave Bull makes it
look very easy, but actually it is very difficult, if not impossible.  I
think I will have to make about 100 prints to get 29 that look the same.  

For one thing, the rice paste picks up little threads of the Hosho, that
become little balls which contaminate the edges of the print.  THEN,
interestingly, I was trying to put down a second large area of gray, hoping
to get rid of all the brush marks, when I found that the second gray layer
picked up some of the little red balls that were left behind by the red
printing.  I guess I am supposed to put the whole thing in the refrigerator
if I don't get it done tonight.

Then I feel like an idiot because Ray has magnificently been accepted and
actually won something in a print competition, when I entered a print,
which my print pals liked, in two competitions, and lost $20 in one and $15
in another.  Forget that addiction!  The Baren/web/software addiction is
enough for me!

Then the wonderful Bareners compare me to Dave, Andrea and the REAL pros,
so now I feel like I have something to live up to, especially since I am
totally IN AWE of those people's abilities. 

The saving grace is that it is so very interesting to read the others'
remarks about their techniques and adventures in printmaking and woodblock
printing in particular--and also the messages from the Japanese culture.
We are getting the info from the horse's mouth, so to speak!

If I have sold a total of about six prints in the last 10 years, then does
that make me a professional?  It doesn't even begin to keep up with the
expenditure on art supplies.  I have been thinking about doing a series of
very large flying horses, enough to fill up a gallery somewhere.

Jim, thanks for telling me about your copper chop.  Making an embossed
stamp is something I had not thought of.  Ray, thanks for reiterating your
reasons to limit the edition to 29.  I would like to have my best work
online, not something with little red balls around the edges, but oh,
well...  I am on the list to get the Dave video, but I am pretty sure I
haven't received it yet.  However, I will look around the house to see if
it snuck in while I wasn't looking.

Time for me to take some time off.  I'm writing too much.  It's getting
addictive.  I have to exercise some self-control over something.

Jean

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:33:05 -0800
Subject: [Baren 2448] Re: Greetings 

Gregory in Kampala,

Welcome to the Bareners or should that be Bareni.

They keep talking about Ray and I ..... or is that me..... been something
or other.
Don't believe a word of it.  We are just a couple of old fuddy duddies
...at least Ray is .....that say it like it is which means we are sometimes
a little blunt....at least Ray is.....
The one virtue Ray and I have is, he lives on the East coast and I live on
the West coast of the Continent ...... so we have the the opportunity of
the proverbial squeeze play anytime we feel it is necessary to keep
everybody fine tuned.

Welcome a board.

We will help you all we can.


Happy New Year
Graham


Ps I enjoyed your writing in you first e-mail.  It is interesting enough to
read it again.
Gary had some good questions ...... we will be waiting with bated .....or
is that baited..... breath

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From: Graham Scholes <gscholes@islandnet.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:39:50 -0800
Subject: [Baren 2449] To the Winning Newbie. 

Ray,

Congrats on your award, that is wonderful.
Sure like to see the image.

There now, that just goes to show you that if you believe in your self and
the work you will do fine.

There is precious little objectivity in adjudicating. Mostly what happens
it if they like it they accept it and if they *really* like it they give it
an award.

So keep carving printing and trying.

From the flasher.......
Graham

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From: <hudson@panther.middlebury.edu>
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1998 07:35:23 -0500 (EST)
Subject: [Baren 2450] From Ray in Vermont 

This is from Ray in Vermont--
Welcome Greogry & any other new members.   I, too, am mainly a reader, but
a delighted one who is learning much.   Congratulations to Ray on his
success and congratulations and endless thanks to David for his
thoughtfulness in keeping Baren bound and rubbing along producing, I
suspect, better printmakers of us all.
My blocks (4) for the print exchange are carved.   I'm now doing some
proofs to work out the colors.   Thanks to those who have been able to
share the stages of their work.  Of course, participating in the exchange
is intimidating, but it's even more invigorating & has pushed me to
attempt some things I might not have without the added push.
So, happy new year to all!   Great printing in the coming year!
Ray (in vermont)

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End of Baren Digest V5 #392
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