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This print is a very
special one for me. It is a reproduction of a
surimono designed by Gakutei, and I made it just as
I was finishing up the ten years of work on the
Hyakunin Isshu series, doing the carving at the
same time as doing the printing work on the
hundredth poet.
I needed it to be done right away for two
reasons - I was planning the beginning of the
Surimono Albums series, and needed a 'sample' of
the type of print I intended to make, in order to
display it in one corner of the big final
exhibition of the poets prints. And in addition to
this, I needed something to give to all the
collectors who would be attending the final party
at that exhibition. These people had supported my
work so well for such a long time, and I really
needed to find a way to thank them that was
something more than just buying stuff that they
didn't need.
The exhibition opened early in the week and the
party was scheduled for Saturday night. Each day
that week I printed for a couple of hours early in
the morning before heading off to the gallery, and
then again until late at night after I came home.
It was finished Friday evening, and when I headed
off to the gallery Saturday morning, my daughters
and parents (who were visiting Japan for the event)
worked packaging them all up for the guests.
(click image for a larger
version in a 'popup' window)
The recipients seemed to enjoy it, and judging
by how many of them requested additional copies, I
think that it was a pretty good choice for a gift
for them.
And the other part of the plan worked well too,
as there were many orders for the new Surimono
Album series, and that got off to a good strong
start.
Thank you Yajima Gakutei ... you've been dead
for well over a hundred years, but you saved my
bacon with this one!
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