The genre has seen a resurgence of popularity in recent decades with new applications and aesthetics, and some controversy regarding the naming of the technique. Traceable to eighth-century woodblock printing, water- based printmaking became celebrated and prevalent in Japan during the Edo period (1604-1868). Among modern-day practitioners working in the medium, some have abandoned vocations and professional careers to devote themselves to mokuhanga as a dedicated life’s path. Each aspect of mokuhanga demands a spirit of humility and respect for the art form, with an attentiveness and regard for the storied legacy the technique carries. The outdoors is experiential and becomes ingrained in one's psyche, easily finding its way into my artistic statements.To its devoted proponents, Japanese water-based printmaking, known as “mokuhanga,” is more than a means of self-expression - it is a discipline, a practice, even a way of life. I am able to talk or print the experiences and environment I know. With years of living in the Southwest, my woodblocks draw upon those encounters and experiences, both past and present, to develop a grounded emotional statement in a woodblock. The images represent my moments and encounters with the environment that has influenced and affected my life over the years. LL: Most of my imagery relates to the Southwest as this is where I have lived. What makes this landscape so special to you? Color, the emotional core of my work, becomes very immediate when printing with the process, allowing me to develop my connection to the artwork.ĪB: Many of your prints focus on the Southwestern United States as subject matter. In essence, each print is an original, with the ink application being manipulated by hand for each print. As the ink is applied by hand with brushes, the intensity and transparency can be controlled and varied on each print. That luminous quality translates so beautifully from the plein-aire watercolor sketches that my work is based upon. LL: Japanese prints have a luminous quality very similar to that of watercolor as both use a transparent ink over a white paper. A baren is rubbed over the raised areas of the block to transfer the ink to the paper.ĪB: What sparked your interest in Japanese woodblock techniques? After the ink is evenly applied to the carved surface of the woodblock, the paper is registered to the image. The ink applied is a rice paste and pigment mix and is brushed across the carved surface of the woodblock with stiff-haired brushes. As the print process moves along quickly, visitors will be able to see the block inked with stiff brushes, registration of the paper and the image transferred with a baren (a textured disk), all within a few minutes. ![]() LL: I will have a number of display prints showing the development of a multiple color woodblock, which will help to demystify the process. Visitors can expect to see a print develop through five color printings. The Japanese inking and printing process is quicker than the traditional Western oil-based ink, allowing four to five colors to be printed within an afternoon. ![]() Don't expect to see a large printing press as the Japanese print process uses a round textured disk to apply pressure to transfer the inked image to the paper. Leon Loughridge: I will be working on a few woodblock prints during the weekend, using the Japanese style of printing commonly referred to as Moku Hanga. His work is exhibited nationally and collected by numerous museums including the Denver Art Museum, the Denver Public Library, and the Colorado History Museum.Īnnika Birnbaum: What will you do for your demo at the DAM? Today, Leon Loughridge owns the Dry Creek Art Press publishing company, where he utilizes his printmaking skills to make reduction woodblocks, etchings and limited edition books, hand-printed on a 1920 Vandercook Flatbed Letterpress. On his return to Colorado, Leon studied intaglio techniques and began selling his prints in mountain galleries. Stationed in Germany while in the army, he was able to travel extensively throughout Europe, visiting museums and filling journals with sketches. Raised in Northern New Mexico, Leon Loughridge developed an early affinity for the Southwestern landscape.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |