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Senshafuda Project - Spring 2011 design ready
Posted by Dave Bull on March 24, 2011 [Permalink]
Continued from the previous post in the thread | Starting point of the entire thread is here
So, after all the delays due to one of the largest natural disasters in history - which kind of keeps things in perspective - the 'final' versions of the images arrived from designer Kaori Seki last night (at around 2 in the morning!), and I'm now able to put everything together.
Here's how the layout is going to work - three prints side by side, together with a fourth which will serve as the 'label' for the front of the package:
That image represents the piece of wood, and the outer dotted line will be the sheet of paper, nestled into the registration marks. Inner dotted lines show where the four prints will be trimmed apart after printing is complete.
So let's put the image parts in place (clickable):
To save you having to twist your neck, here's an upright version:
In a previous post, you saw how the SkyTree design evolved. We're sticking pretty close to what came out of those discussions, although that isn't perhaps apparent here, as many of the important lines of the design (notably the skeleton structure of the tower) will be on another block. But you get the idea ...
As for the other two, we have a simple image (borrowing heavily from the style of the old senshafuda) of a Mejiro (Japanese White-Eye) in a cherry tree, and a design playing with themes from the Girl's Day holiday: a decorative lantern, a doll on a stand, and a flowering peach.
Some of the lines in these designs are muda-bori (wasted carving). They are there so that proper separation of areas for the colour blocks can be made from the key block, and once that part of the job has been done they will be cut away. More about that as it takes place later ...
Also, there is a small error there, as Tauchi-san the calligrapher misunderstood my instruction and drew 'Senshafuda Project' for the title instead of 'Senshafuda Collection'. (Did you all catch it? :-) No problem, as she's sending a replacement tomorrow.
Next step - get this off to Sato-san the carver!
[Update: I just spoke to him this evening on the phone to arrange a visit tomorrow, but rather than me go over there, he'll be dropping over here for our meeting - to discuss the images, consider how the work should proceed, and pick up the blank blocks, etc.]
This thread continues here ...
Added by: Peter J Dylag on March 25, 2011, 12:05 am
When will you have subcription info available??
Added by: Dave on March 25, 2011, 12:13 am
I'm preparing the information pages now, but won't begin taking orders for these prints until we actually get the first proof copies off the blocks. Although I have plenty of confidence that we will be able to make a very pleasing set of prints, I think it's only fair to wait until the product exists before trying to sell it!
And as for 'subscriptions', as I mentioned before, these will not be sold that way. The set of three prints will be a single item for sale in the Mokuhankan catalogue. I'm anticipating that many people will purchase the upcoming sets as well (Summer, Autumn, etc.) but there will be no obligation to do so.
I still haven't thought it all through yet, but perhaps what I will do is have a checkbox on the order form for something like "Please let me know when the next set in the series is ready," or something like that. I'm open to ideas and suggestions on this ...
Thanks for the interest, Peter!
Added by: Ellen Shipley on March 25, 2011, 2:31 am
I love the whole cooperative aspect of the project. It's so foreign to the approach I'm used to, where egos clash.
Added by: Dave on March 25, 2011, 9:11 am
egos clash ...
No possibility of that here, as the 'rules' are very clear. I'm the publisher, which means I am also the Artistic Director, the Financier, the Overseer, the Publicity Manager ... in short, the Boss!
There is no 'clash' possible. If I say 'Do it this way,' they do it this way. If I say 'Do it that way,' they do it that way.
It's interesting that we speak of traditional Japanese printmaking as being 'collaborative', but that implies a certain level of equality between the partners, something that is not really present here.
Having said all that, I am of course fully aware that they need to be 'left alone' to do the work in the best way they can. My strictness must come at the conceptual stages; I then hand over to them to actually produce the work. Because this is early days for the group of us, my 'hand' will be everywhere, and when I am speaking with Sato-san later this morning, I will go over every inch of these designs with him to make sure that he knows what I want. But when we do the next job together, this strong oversight will be relaxed somewhat, as he gradually comes to learn what we are looking for. And eventually, as our 'house style' becomes established, the work crew will need very little guidance at all.
I hope we get that far!
Added by: Margaret on March 25, 2011, 1:16 pm
I'm so excited! I can't wait to order mine. I love the incorporation of the cell phone image.
Added by: Dave on March 29, 2011, 11:38 am
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