Edutainment > 36 Views of Green Island (22) - Post and Rail

Tom Kristensen, born 1962, is a young artist from Australia who works in the tradition of Japanese woodblock prints. On this page he describes his print work 'Post and Rail' from the series of '36 Views of Green Island'.

Post and Rail - Woodblock print by Tom Kristensen

Prints by Tom Kristensen
Green Island - Post and Rail
copyright Tom Kristensen

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Post and Rail - No. 22

Japanese art was introduced to Europe when Dutch traders returned with prints in the early 19th century. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 there was a boom in the enjoyment of all things Japanese. The flood of colourful woodblocks with their fresh sensual style and popular themes had an immediate impact on European art. From Impressionism to Cubism, to current Manga, modern art owes a debt to Ukiyo-e.

In this print I have deliberately mixed Western pictorial conventions with Japanese influence. The handrail hints at the early use of perspective in Harunobu prints. Angled architectural woodwork was used to design a simple setting in which a sense of space was created simply by placing one element over another. Gentle bokashi shading creates further perspective.

Japanese Style Woodblock Print

Tom Kristensen - Video

Video Tom Kristensen
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Japanese style can also be seen in the asymmetry of this composition, which contrasts patterned shapes with areas of smooth colour. Bright colour is offset by dark flowing outlines. The presence of dappled light and shade in the landscape produces a Western style of deep perspective.

The foreground is seen in sharp detail while distant objects are seen through the hazy diffraction of light. The fragmentation of colour into small windows recalls medieval stained glass, and the cruciform woodwork is another reminder of the role of the church in art.

Precise use of chiaroscuro on the handrail is analytically Western. The lurid green tinge is another scientific pointer to the copper, chrome and arsenic salts that preserve and stain the strangely exotic treated pine timber.

These 36 views are presented in the Sosaku Hanga tradition: self-carved and hand printed, using Japanese tools, Japanese mulberry washi and traditional pigment colours. Each print will be made from 4 to 6 blocks and printed in an edition of 25 copies.

Tom Kristensen, August 2006
(edited by Dieter Wanczura, updated October 2009)

Video Presentation of Tom Kristensen

We produced a video with a short presentation of Tom Kristensen. Please click on the image or on the link to go to the video page.

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