Andrew Stone Santa Cruz, California USA
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'Bonsai'
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Artist's comments ...
Name: Andrew Stone
Location: Santa Cruz, CaliforniaPrint Title: Bonsai
Paper Dimension: 6.5 X 14.75 inches
Image Dimension: 6 X 12 inches
Block: 1 Maple keyblock; 5 Shina blocks
Ink: D.Smith and W/Newton tube watercolors, Guerra pigment dispersions and Sumi
Paper: Nishinouchi
Edition: 34 plus another 10 with different papers/background colors
Comments: Six blocks, 11 impressions, Thirteen colors. The tree was printed with a simple reduction of the trunk, leaves and flowers. The vase was printed with a simple Prussian Blue bokashi.
I wanted to juxtapose the art of Bonsai, the attempt to create the illusion of a centuries-old tree (but achieved through the patient and deliberate stunting of it's growth through root and branch pruning and nutrient starvation) with the image of this middle-aged, somewhat grotesque and inappropriately naked figure. Surrounded by tools woefully inadeqate to the task he proudly offers up an example of his modest, Japanese hobby. I suppose commenting on the desire to have the power on a small scale to create beauty or control our environment while we physically and inexorably age and realize how little control we really possess.
I still think it was a good idea even if the print didn't succeed. I think the tree needed to be prettier/more realistic and the figure better drawn and uglier.