[Baren]: The mailing list / discussion forum for woodblock printmaking. Baren Digest Thursday, 13 January 2000 Volume 10 : Number 858 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Studio Dalwood Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 14:05:30 +1100 Subject: [Baren 7658] Dragon page update and #6 exchange theme Just a quick note to let you know that the weekly dragon update has just taken place. I went to the post box and there were five little beasties cowering at the back of the box, including one baby. Thanks Jan, Jean Barbara and Silvia. Barbara, yours was post marked 28th December. Perhaps the post office forgot to change their stamp? Jean, yours was a little damaged from travelling without an envelope. I have put David's card on there too, even though it is not a dragon. As he says it is a more gentle flying creature. My husband said it was most impressive. He said a lot of very nice things about it, he liked it a lot. You can't see it in the scan but the white feathers are embossed. http://www.acay.com.au/~severn/dragon.htm If I got anyone's name and address wrong or the links dont work or I missed something, please let me know. A little while ago I discussed with David the possibility that we make the theme for the #6 exchange 'Sacred Tree'. My motive for this was the exhibition that I am having later this year. I would like to include a 'forest' of trees and exhibit a baren exchange here. The tree as a sacred object occurs in many (if not all?) cultures at one time or another, the most familiar being the tree in the Adam and Eve story. I have researched these and am putting together a summary of some of the stories. What I would like to suggest is that the exchange theme be a sacred tree story of your choice. The prints would then be included in my exhibition as a [baren] collaboration piece. David asked me to put the idea to the group to guage your response to my suggestion. If you are interested in doing this as an exchange I will post the summary to the webpage and you can choose a story or research your own. I would not like to see thirty gardens of eden however, as the intent would be to show the diversity of approaches to a universal sacred object. The idea is to illustrate thirty different stories. By way of example, this story comes from The Golden Bough which is one of my principle references. (I can't find the book at the moment so this is from memory here) It was a custom in ancient europe (Germany?) that if a man damaged the bark of a tree (as in 'ring barked' the tree), then they would cut out his belly button and nail it to the tree. The man would be driven around the tree winding his intestines around the trunk in symbolic replacement of the bark. The man and tree die together. I'm sure there are a lot of greenies who would like to do this to some logging company officials, including me. Anyway, let me know what you all think. Josephine ------------------------------ From: Gayle Wohlken Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:44:26 -0500 Subject: [Baren 7659] Re: Baren Digest V10 #857 David Mohallatee, welcome at last. We have seen your work in Exchange #1 and you were mysterious to some of us, having never come out to say hello. Nice to hear you speak. Your work is impressive. Michael, I believe Gary and Graham are joking with each other. It's a game they play, so don't worry about the roughness. I think Gary understands Graham is a tease. Am I right here, Graham? Gayle ------------------------------ From: Wanda Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:57:39 -0800 Subject: [Baren 7660] Kento Good morning everyone, I realized last night, while sorting my exchange #4 print - more bad ones than good ones - I am having a heck of a time with my registration. Seems like I remember Graham saying something about picking one block and registering all the others to that, right? So if I'm using a key block (which I am on this one) - then I should get all the other blocks registered tight to that, right? I have adjusted the blocks for this one so many times that the kento marks look like stacked cord wood, with little splinters glued in and taken out & glued in again! This is why I'm afraid to use that wonderful paper I got from Graham. Last night, while printing the last 12 or so, it dawned on me how easy it is when I finally get the darned kento marks just right. Then, when printing - does it matter which blocks get printed first? I wound up with 6 blocks in this print. Which is just fine when the kento is correct - but oh boy, what I went through to get there! I would love to hear all of your ideas about how to handle this. On or off-list. Thanks, Wanda ------------------------------ From: CHRISTY BLANK Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:25:38 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Baren 7661] different ideas When I was in college there were two factions in my art deptment, the old guard and the new professors. To relieve some of the tension, it was "suggested" to all the professors by the regents, that they should take a little time and try each other's medias as a group project. The original idea was that they would once a week go to another professor's studio and paint, or do ceramics, kind of a bonding experience. When it came time to go to printing, all but three of the art professors refused to go to the workshop, because "printing isn't a real art form, it's only a technique." Needless to say, we printmakers were offended. I expect that is how Gary must be feeling however, I don't really think that it is appropriate to post his anger to the list. (not that Gram is blameless either) I think that diversity is the strength of this list. We're all artists of varying experience, from different styles and disciplines and I think that sharing that difference is what helps us expand and grow as artists. I'm learning so much! I've never had much exposure to the hanga style and find it fascinating!! My background is more the traditional western style focusing on the German school of printing. (and I don't just mean Durer, but of the three major western schools.) Looking at the other member's sites on the web, and looking to the posted prints, and the dragon prints I thrill at receiving, I have noticed my style is very different then everything I've seen so far. I hope that it can be appricated and can help others grow just as viewing your work is helping and inspiring me. on a lighter note... I was reminded talking to a friend last night of this show I saw at the Museum of Printing History in Houston. The woodcuts by Barry Moser, for the Pennyroyal Caxton Bible were incredible!!! They had the book on display, but the original prints and preliminary photos were what was really impressive. Anyone else got to see the show?? It's been touring the US for a while (2 years). I'm sure you know Barry Moser, but If you don't there are MANY web sites featuring his work, including the museum's web site.(limited pictures):( (His work reminds me of Dan's, in subject matter and somehow a little in style too.) Also when I first introduced my self to the list I mentioned Durer's House in Nurenberg, and the school. Someone, I think John had asked me for more info... The Nurenberg website has a page devoted to the museum with telephone #'s and such. www.nuernberg.de/ver/him/ad_e.htm (dyslexia disclaimer on correct spelling above.) :) The house is original (one of the few to survive the bombing) lots of pictures of the house, but they don't list specifics of the printing school on the fourth floor. Christina ------------------------------ From: "David Stones" Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:28:25 +0900 Subject: [Baren 7662] RE: Kento Dear Wanda, Your post strikes at one of the problems of participating in time-defined projects. The exchanges, in their present form, are one such. You seem to have NOT had the time to think your work through. Before printing you must have a clear idea of the design objective, block order (as best as can be estimated) and the key block's use. (In a six-block work it IS the one that you should register from but it should also have been the one from which you TOOK the other colours (therefore they should "fit" it). Please slow down. You're doing nothing wrong but going too fast. If you cannot met a deadline - don't - the art work is the more important and the results MUST satisfy YOU before you ever let one copy out of your printroom. Woodblock printing is a slow, labour-intensive art, to be enjoyed - and not one to match a time limit... Plan carefully and you'll succeed. Good (to you) prints, one at a time, with thought. Ishita (Dave S) ------------------------------ From: Aqua4tis@aol.com Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 03:40:45 EST Subject: [Baren 7666] Re: Dragon page update and #6 exchange theme hi everyone i want to thank everyone for all the wonderful dragons ive received (and the beautiful non-dragon from dave) and tell you that i will begin mailing my ladies out next week so dont give up on me im just slow thanks georga ------------------------------ End of Baren Digest V10 #858 ****************************