Posted by Darrel on November 15, 1997 at 01:45:49:
In Reply to: Haku Maki; Hiroyuki Tajima posted by Donald A. Coffin on November 13, 1997 at 14:33:47:
Dave McClean posted a helpful list of books
that cover the work of the major sosaku hanga
artists. I'll add the excellent "Guide to Modern
Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900-1975 by Helen
Merritt and Nanako Yamada. Their description for
Maki Haku is as follows:
"B. 1924 in Ibaraki prefecture. Original name Maejima
Tadaaki. Grad. 1945 Ibaraki Normal School. Learned
printmaking at monthly gatherings organized by Onchi
Koshiro. Member Nihon Hanga Kyokai from 1958 and
Modern Art Society. In the late 1950s and early
1960s experimented with natural grain of wood which
he accentuated with wire brush and other tools. Later
worked with cement relief built up on blocks of wood
or cardboard. Participated in first and second Tokyo
International biennales in 1957 and 1960, Pistoia,
and other international exhibitions. Prints often
deeply embossed with designs derived from Chinese
characters or pottery shapes and enriched with a
prominent red seal."
The bio in Lawrence Smith's "Modern Japanese Prints:
1912-1989 is similar, adding that "he has remained
devoted to large editions at low prices available to
ordinary people, in spite of the celebrity acheived
by being selected for James Michener's portfolio The
Modern Japanese Print: An Appreciation (1962)."
Merritt's bio for Tajima Hiroyuki is as follows:
"1911-1984. B. Tokyo. Grad. 11932 Nihon University;
grad. 1934 from Western-style painting division of
Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Also studied mokuhan
with Nagase Yoshio and fabric dying with Hirokawa
Matsugoro. Strongly attracted to dada and surrealism.
Made his first print in 1946. Joined Bijutsu Bunka
Kyokai in 1946, a group instrumental in bringing back
abstract and surrealist painting suppressed during
World War II. Stopped printing 1950-1952 to write
short stories and poetry. Member of Nihon Hanga Kyokai
from 1963. Represented in Tokyo Biennale in 1964, Northwest,
Seoul, and other international competitions. In late
works used shellac, torn paper, dyes, and other
materials in conjunction with woodblocks for low-relief
printing of complex textures in sonorous colors."
Smith's bio includes the following:
"In the 1960s and 70s he developed his typical
densely pigmented abstract style, which, however,
was based on the ideals of East Asian calligraphy,
traditional Japanese painting structure, and a sense
of space derived partly from his Zen Buddist beliefs. His
abstract prints typically have complex surfaces achieved
by building up the block with various materials such
as crumpled paper. At this time he also made a living
from producing more popular landscape prints under
the name of Nagai Kiyoshi. In 1969 he began making
prints on canvas using much the same techniques, but
soon abandoned this. His prints were particularly
promoted by the Red Lantern Shop in Kyoto and most of
them can be found in their periodic English-language
catalogues."
Hope this helps.
Darrel C. Karl
darrel@erols.com