Posted by Dave Bull on October 30, 1998 at 22:55:52:
In Reply to: Re: Individualism and Ukiyo-e posted by DJM on October 29, 1998 at 20:38:27:
I hope that my comments in 'support' of the carvers and printers won't be taken as a ' repudiation of individual achievement' for the artists. I am very much aware that I am at least as biased on the side of the craftsmen (whom I feel have been very unjustly ignored), as are the 'famous' writers who write about the 'famous' artists.
Of course without the designer, all would be nothing. But think of just what it is in a woodblock print that we love - yes an interesting design. But we also love the clarity and definition of the incised lines, and the beauty of the fluid 'brush' strokes. We love the indescribable delicacy of the colours, and the way that two colours side by side have been chosen to 'blend' with each other perfectly. And _these_ things that we love come to us _directly_ from the hands of the craftsmen. I _know_ this - from nearly twenty years of sitting at my carving and printing benches working on reproductions of Japanese prints!
It is certainly possible that in some cases the 'Utamaro' (or whoever ...) sat down with the printer and guided him in the blending of the colours. I have no crystal ball to look back into the past to confirm or deny this. But I am as certain as I can be, that any such instances would have been only in the case of very special publications. For 99% of normally published prints, it is my opinion that none of the people involved would have thought that such close guidance was necessary. The printers were completely capable of doing an 'Utamaro' palette.
To grab at a rather weak analogy, how about the way that books are made? Very few authors have any say (or interest?) in the way that their book is physically produced - what typefaces are used, what the pH of the paper is, whether or not tha page numbers are in italic type or not, etc. etc. But all these things (and a million other details of construction) play a great part in how 'beautiful' the finished book is. It's simply that there is a clearly defined division of labour, with each person contributing in his/her own sphere or specialty. And (to get back to printmaking) I have personal knowledge of an instance here in Tokyo a few years ago where a set of prints was made from designs supplied by a very famous designer. The publisher took the originals (in watercolour line and wash), had then drawn into hanshita form, carved and then printed. When the proofs were sent to the artist, he _suggested_ a few alterations, and then signed off on the resulting proofs. He knew at the beginning that the carver and printer had the experience and deep knowledge necessary to turn a _design_ into a _print_. He accepted that his own part was to supply the 'design', vague as it might be.
(One of the prints from that series is illustrated (poorly, I'm sorry!), in the 'Editor's Choice' section of the Encyclopedia (in the 'Exhibitions' section ...) (http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/outline.html)
This is turning out to be a great discussion on a very interesting and complex topic!