The image you see on this print has not been drawn, it has been ‘assembled’. So I’ll put my own name down, not as artist, but as ‘editor’. The different components of the print: the bamboo grove, the fanciful seashore, and the swirled background pattern, are all taken from items in my collection, dating from both Meiji and early Showa eras, and I have freely adapted these elements into what I hope is a pleasing and interesting design. That explains the ‘what’ of this image; as for the ‘why’, well, there is indeed a bit of a point that I would like to make.

Woodblock printing historically existed in many cultures around the world, but nearly everywhere it appeared, the carving and printing were ‘rough & ready’. The main purpose was clearly the communication of the content. In most cultures and historical periods, prints were made with quite a specific purpose: in early 18th century Britain they were a vehicle of satire and moralizing; in early Asian cultures, prints were religious iconography; to many of my friends around the world these days, a print is meant to carry a ‘message’, usually one of protest.

Now while it is possible - if one digs deeply enough - to find such examples within the world of multi-colour Japanese prints, they are certainly not common. For Japan it seems, the main idea - the purpose of a print - is simply existence as a beautiful object in its own right.

To communicate an idea, lines don’t need to be carved beautifully, nor do colours need to be rich and well-balanced. The only reason to do such things is to create something beautiful. It was to further this quest - the pursuit of beauty - that printmaking techniques here were raised to a level far beyond those in any other culture on the planet.

I have no criticism of the way that my printmaking friends approach their work - sitting down to cut their blocks in the hope that they may help to correct an injustice in the world - but such feelings are not something I share. I cut my blocks with one, and only one, desire - that people will look at the finished product and feel a burst of pleasure. “That’s so beautiful!”

A worthy goal, I believe!

David

June 2011