Baren Digest               Tuesday, 22 July 2003       Volume 24 : Number 2313


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From: G Wohlken <blueman#pantek.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 09:46:19 -0400
Subject: [Baren 22294] glue for mica 

Dave and Himi, the photo essays (both the step-by-step Surimono print  
and the encyclopedia entry on mica are clear and easy to follow.  Thank 
you for another lesson (the mica) I can add to my big, fat Baren 
instruction looseleaf notebook.  

One question.  When you speak of "liquid glue" on the board for 
preparation of the mica, what kind of glue do you mean?  This is not 
rice paste, I'm assuming.  Do you mean something equivalent to mucilage? 
 It's clear, not creamy?  Is it thinned at all?  

Gayle



>Ten steps are now done, two left ...
>http://woodblock.com/surimono/process/6/index.html
>
>This afternoon I did the mica background on the print... I had my daughter 
>Himi - who is here staying with me this week - 
>work with the camera while I printed this afternoon, and we just 
>finished putting up a new Encyclopedia page showing the process:
>http://woodblock.com/encyclopedia/topics/012/012.html
>... click on 'Printing a Mica Background'
>  >




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From: David Bull <davebull#woodblock.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 23:43:44 +0900
Subject: [Baren 22295] Re: glue for mica 

Gayle wrote:

> One question.  When you speak of "liquid glue" on the board for 
> preparation of the mica, what kind of glue do you mean?  This is not 
> rice paste, I'm assuming.  Do you mean something equivalent to 
> mucilage? It's clear, not creamy?  Is it thinned at all?


It's simple clear 'gelatin' glue, what is known in the west as 'hide 
glue' I think. In summer, it's easy to use, but in winter, I have to 
keep the little bowl standing on an electric coffee cup warmer, in order 
to keep the stuff in liquid form.

As for the thinning, you have to play it by ear. If it's too thick, 
things get way too sticky, and the paper starts to adhere to the block. 
But if you let it get too thin, then of course the mica won't adhere 
well. You have to experiment a bit ...

Dave


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From: Julio.Rodriguez#walgreens.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 14:39:53 -0500
Subject: [Baren 22296] Re: fear vs love on Jacoulet's work 


Well put Gillyin, good post. From what I have read, Jacoulet did not hide 
his sexuality, quite the contrary going as far as being a very flamboyant 
dresser. That his prints so openly
and honestly depict a "taboo" (for the period) subject speaks for him. 

I found some stamps put out by Micronesia in 1991 celebrating Jacoulet's 
work.  Particularly interesting {;-) is the young self-portrait (1923) and 
the accompanying watercolor "First Love, Yap" (1937). 
http://www.amy.hi-ho.ne.jp/~fom-net/stamps/sta-uk-e.htm

http://www.fareastasianart.com/stores/georgeart/items/16296/en1fareastasianart.html 
http://marshall.csu.edu.au/html/art/Jacoulet_bio.html


Also from a 2002 exhibit "Korea through Western Eyes: Prints and Paintings 
of Korea by Paul Jacoulet and Elizabeth Keith".

 "French artist Paul Jacoulet (c.1900-1960) spent most of his life in Japan, 
and around 1930 visited Korea, where his mother lived for several years. 
He adopted two Korean brothers, who remained his loyal companions until he 
died. Jacoulet was fascinated by Korean people, their costumes, mannerisms 
and daily habits, and created elaborate Japanese-style woodblock print 
designs of Korean characters that are full of color, humor and, on 
occasion, political satire. "

I wonder if the models for many of his works are the two adopted brothers 
mentioned above ?

Here is another print I like ..."Snowflakes",  specially with the two 
young ladies looking away and the one is staring right at us...

http://www.shirleyallen.com/items/18648/en1store.html


"Paul Jacoulet, Japanese woodblock print, Snowflakes, Korea, 1956. This 
appealing study of three innocent looking Korean girls in the snow comes 
from the same series of drawings from the early 30s as No. 131, Vent du 
Nord. As Jacoulet was becoming increasingly ill and depressed, he returned 
to some of his lightest and most charming early works to find subjects for 
subscriber prints. Meanwhile, he was starting to make large key block 
drawings of the series of 120 completely new subjects that he had hoped 
would be his masterwork. He made the drawings, and selected the colors, 
but never live to complete the prints. Credit: The Prints Of 
Paul Jacoulet, by Richard Miles. "

Uhmmm.. I wonder where those drawings are now ?

thanks....Julio Rodriguez (Skokie, Illinois)

Watercolors of Paul Jacoulet
Arts Watercolors / Richard Miles 
Pacific Asia Museum, Meilinki Enterprises Ltd. / 1989 
ISBN 1-877921-01-7 / US$27.50, 4,000Yen 
Watercolors paintings of Micronesian people by Paul Jacoulet(1896-1960). 

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From: Aqua4tis#aol.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 16:18:53 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22297] Re: fear vs love on Jacoulet's work 


> http://www.shirleyallen.com/items/18648/en1store.html > 

hi everyone
to be honest  i havent been following all the posts about paul jacoulets work 
  but i happened to read yours julio and i looked up the sites you posted  
and im blown away    i love this mans work!!!   his woodcuts have a very 
contemporary look to them whilestill having a traditional feel to them   they look 
like they could have been produced today    im definitely a fan   but them i 
like eric gill also  and he too did some "creepy" stuff     
i love the diversity of artists  :-)
georga

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From: Aqua4tis#aol.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 16:22:16 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22298] Re: Message from Julio about the Calendars....... 



> http://www.barenforum.org/calendar/
> 


julio
   i cant see the images   the all have those little white boxes in them with 
the red x's
:-(
georga


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From: Julio.Rodriguez#walgreens.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 15:30:13 -0500
Subject: [Baren 22299] Re: Message from Julio about the Calendars.......

Georga writes:
"  i cant see the images   the all have those little white boxes in them 
with the red x's.."

There are only a few images up/received so far....five in total....the 
little red x's means the artists are still working hard on their 
prints...cutting & printing  {;-) . 

Prints received:  Leaf, Telfer (2), Cody, & Bull.

thanks....Julio

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From: "Gillyin Gatto" <gillying#Maineline.net>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 19:41:10 -0400
Subject: [Baren 22300] definitions 

thanks Sharri for trying to clear up those definitions--

but does that mean that Dave's work

would also be called  decadent and inauthentic?

or am i still missing the meanings??

gillyin

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From: David Bull <davebull#woodblock.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 09:22:43 +0900
Subject: [Baren 22301] Re: definitions 

Enjoying the various interesting points of view being expressed here 
recently - it's been quite a while since we were able to enjoy this kind 
of discussion!


> but does that mean that Dave's work
> would also be called  decadent and inauthentic?


Well I don't think my stuff counts as 'decadent', as it doesn't pretend 
to be original 'art' at all, so there can be no criticism of it in those 
terms, but 'inauthentic' _is_ a charge that is sometimes leveled at me 
(by foreigners, never by Japanese), and I certainly have been accused of 
'appropriation'.

I myself don't have any 'problem' with what I do (of course!); I just 
simply follow in the footsteps and continue making traditional prints, 
using traditional techniques, and basically traditional business 
practices, and being extremely open and communicative about what the 
images are and where they came from. The only thing 'inauthentic' is my 
DNA, and that shouldn't have too much to do with it, I think. As for the 
'appropriation', I think this is only a factor where people in a 
position of 'strength and power' step in and take imagery from a culture 
that is in a position of 'weakness', paying no attention to whether or 
not that culture wishes its material to be used in such a way (this is 
the 'colonial exploitation' point of view). In my particular case, given 
that 'Japanese culture' is certainly capable of standing up for itself - 
and indeed, is one of the most vivid and vibrant cultures on the face of 
this planet - I see no 'exploitation', and thus no ethical problem.

And based on the reaction from Japan itself - the endless feedback along 
the lines of "Oh, thank you so much for the work you are doing to help 
preserve the culture that we ourselves have thrown away!" - I feel quite 
able to side-step any charges of 'inauthentic' or 'appropriation'. YMMV!

Dave
P.S. That series of process images for the Sharaku print is now 
finished ... and a link to a nice blow-up of the finished print can be 
found on the final step page ...


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From: "April Vollmer" <april#aprilvollmer.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 22:41:55 -0400
Subject: [Baren 22302] blockbuster woodblock show 
Sarah wrote:

>I just received my brochure from Contemporary Graphics (for

merly Connecticut Graphics) and our own Mike Lyon is giving a workshop
there
Congrats Mike, wish I could take the workshop there to see how the heck you
make these!
Not to mention that in the same brochure is an announcement for a show that
includes such luminaries as Helen Frankenthaler, Jim Dine, and.... April
Vollmer - congrats April!

Thanks, Sarah! This show is in conjunction with the Paul Furneaux residency.
After Paul's studio burned, Tony Kirk from CCP invited him to stay at the
new artist cottage, to make new work. Paul will be giving a class this
summer during his residency. Then he will be showing new work in the
blockbuster woodblock show in September. Mike will come teach another class
in September, so the Center for Contemporary Printmaking is doing a lot to
promote woodcut, especially waterbase. They are too busy printing over there
to learn any website design, (no website) so if you want information you
have to call: (203) 899-7999.

The show opens September 12, so I hope some of you can come out. Of course
I'll photograph the opening and put it on my website for those of you too
far from CT to make the opening!

April
www.aprilvollmer.com


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From: Aqua4tis#aol.com
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 22:44:41 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22303] Re: blockbuster woodblock show 


april mike and sarah 
     congrats to all of you!!!!   your sucesses inspire me   
georga


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From: FurryPressII#aol.com
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 05:41:22 EDT
Subject: [Baren 22304] Re: definitions 


I stand in awe of Dave's craftsmanship.  There are lots of different ways to 
skin the woodblock cat and Dave has taken the most difficult way and mastered 
it.

Printmaking in the West is over 500 years old with many different reasons for 
its being done. And much the same can be said for eastern printmaking except 
it was around for an even longer time.  Almost all of our craft was invented 
for the bus. of printing not as an art form.

Some time I think the modernist idea of art must be original is a load of 
poppycock esp if one looks at the history of printmaking in its totality.  Almost 
all printmaking before 1900 was reproductive in nature.  The craftsman ship 
of the reproductive printmaker of the 19th century is of great importance to me 
much more so then the cult of originality of the modernists.  In there rush 
to worship the idol of originality they through the baby out with the bath 
water.

Hold the fort the vandels of modernism are on the attack!!!!!   ROFLMAO

John "furrypress" Center



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From: "Janet Warner Montgomery" <originaletchings#hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 07:38:23 -0400
Subject: [Baren 22305] Re: definitions 

"Well I don't think my stuff counts as 'decadent'"

>bat poop. 

I think it might be fun to be called 'decadent'. add it to my cv.!

Nor do I know how one would go about not deriving any facet of one's 
art from things that came before. I guess it comes under the heading of
 I don't care what they call me as long as it's not late for breakfast." 
 Your work is wonderful, Dave, or they wouldn't be talking about you.
  YMMV! -&nbsp; what does this mean??
  jan
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From: David Bull <davebull#woodblock.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2003 21:10:31 +0900
Subject: [Baren 22306] Re: definitions 


Janet wrote:

> "Well I don't think my stuff counts as 'decadent'"

>> bat poop.


Interesting expression; kind of rolls off the tongue ... I'll have to
remember that!


>> I think it might be fun to be called 'decadent'. add it to my cv.!


Oh, although I don't think that 'decadent' applies to my work ... I'm
quite happy to accept the label _personally_!  (Certainly my kids think

so!)


> Your work is wonderful, Dave, or they wouldn't be talking about you.


This of course, is a point that applies very much to Jacoulet; the fact

that his work has stirred up such discussion among this group of
printmakers tells us that the stuff _is_ indeed 'worth it'. We certainly

don't all see the same things in the images, nor do we respond with the

same emotions, but respond we do!


> YMMV! -what does this mean??


"Your Mileage May Vary" ... added to express the feeling that the
speaker isn't trying to lay down the law, but merely expressing a
personal opinion ...

Dave



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End of Baren Digest V24 #2313
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