Block Print
Cultural Inspiration
Noh is a type of traditional Japanese theatre. The word itself means “skill” and “craft in art performance.” The performances themselves are musicals based off of tales from old literature. The characters in every performance are supernatural beings that have descended to earth in human form in order to tell a story to mankind. These various stories are told through small gestures and movements in addition to the use of masks. Noh masks are carved, typically from a singular piece of wood and then painted with natural earth toned colors. These masks represent various things such as age, gender, social ranking, and human or non-human such as demons, or divine beings. There is a wide range of these masks including sixty characters and over four-hundred masks. A focal of Noh theatre is the use of body movement and ability to manipulate the light to change the appearances of the various characters throughout the play.
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The slight tilt of the head can indicate a drastic difference in the emotion being portrayed in a singular character. Masks are reserved for leads of a play, and those who do not wear masks in the performance are expected to maintain over-exaggerated facial expressions as if one was wearing a mask. Each mask has it’s own specific name, and general description of the character. Props are minimalistic, and each character is given a fan that can be used to represent multiple items in different situations, such as a sword. In my own piece, I intend to use various masks such as Kagekiyo, Namanari, and Hannya which are representative of inner demons, evil, and jealousy. There are also certain characters that represent transition phases from man to demon which are usually due to constant emotions such as greed or jealousy. In addition to the characters, I plan on using the traditional color schemes of Japanese watercolor art. |
Planning Sketches
This was my original sketch from project #2. After using a Sharpie to create light and negative spaces, I decided on considering the sketch for its own piece.
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Continuing with my inspiration from traditional Noh theatre, I decided on depicting a timeline of sorts between the three sketches. This second sketch is a representation of an aura or self realization.
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This is my third and final sketch for the piece. I was uncertain of which stage this should be in my representation of a journey; however, I also decided to focus on the use of movement, specifically within the background.
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Process
1.) After choosing my preferred sketch, I proceeded to sketch out a replication onto the linoleum. I used pencil at first to make a rough outline for proportion and unity of the piece.
2.) Following the sketch, I outlined individual sections of the sketch in black Sharpie, like it was in my planning sketches. Any "black" section represented the placement for the ink in the actual print. Any "white" spaces needed to be carved away. 3.) Part of the appeal of my practice sketches was the texture I was able to produce with a fine-tip Sharpie. I did not want this to be lost in my print, seeing as it was much easier to produce fine-lined details with a sharpie than a blunt carving tool. I attempted to keep some of this texture by leaving small sections of linoleum that would make a mark on the print in the light sections of the carving. |
4.) The completely dark sections I did not carve at all. I wanted there to be no confusion that there was an absence of light within those heavily shaded areas. In addition, with the inclusion of texture in the hallowed sections it could be seen confusing as to the lay-out of the piece with light and darkness.
5.) After carving each section as listed in steps two through four, I turned to the background. There is a lot of movement in the subject of this piece, specifically within the hair and the various areas of shading in the button-down. I wanted to leave the background fairly basic as to not detract from the subject of the piece. On the contrary, I also saw it as necessary to establish definition and placement to the setting of this piece, giving it context. |
Experimentation
As with most block prints, the hardest part is achieving the contrast between the white and the black. There are certain areas on my carving where I attempted to have completely hit by the light, such as the eyes and the reflection on the horns. Other areas, such as the mask, I wanted to have some room for error. To clarify, I wanted there to be some texture within the face of the mask. The texture in the details of the carving promote three dimensional figures as opposed to a 2D print.
As seen in the upper right hand corner of the mask, it can be easy to slice through the back of the linoleum. Seeing as this was an area without a significant amount of shading, or ink it was not too much of an issue when producing the print. The other issue that I encountered while carving was forgetting which sections needed to be carved, and which sections I was supposed to leave alone. unfortunately, I began to carve the right side of the bridge of the nose resulting in minor difficulties as I proceeded to produce my print. |
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Reflection and Evaluation
The piece is satisfactory by means of craftsmanship. I believe that the incorporation of Japanese influences in Noh are expressed through the ideas of heavenly lessons with earthly representation; similar to that of a parable or fable. I also enjoy the movement in this piece. I feel that I utilized the entire space available while remaining proportional and rational with the use of space and unity. One area of improvement that I noticed was only creating one piece. The idea of a journey would become more evident through multiple pieces, as opposed to one. Incorporating several pieces breaks down the stages that are happening and give the appearance more similar to that of a book or story. The use of several pieces also creates direct artistic connections to Yoshitoshi who I used as inspiration for my experimentation. If I were to do this piece again, I would want to focus more on the background as well as the subject. I would incorporate natural elements such as plants, weather, or merely scenery similar to the stylistic choices of Yoshitoshi. This would provide another direct connection to my artistic and cultural inspirations.
Connecting to the ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
- Noh masks are the key element in this piece. They are used to convey various emotions in the artwork.
- Noh is the oldest form of theatre that is still performed today. It is an art form that has been carried on for centuries and continues to help educate large gatherings of people about various truths about life. Theatre is often about conveying difficult subjects in various forms.
- Art does not have to have words in order to be felt. Music, paintings, and acting all have a way of communication without direct translation from the artist.
- Communication is key to understanding in any art form, but it is also necessary in life. For my piece, I looked to incorporate symbols that represented communication with others.
- Stories are not always what they are perceived to be. There does not always have to be understanding in order to have appreciation.
Bibliography
http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1000ce_noh.htm
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1000ce_noh.htm