Kathryn Maxwell

This past July, I was fortunate to travel to the Himalayan country of Bhutan. This beautiful, but tiny country, only opened to foreigners in 1974. Visitors, while not restricted in number,  are granted visas only for the exact length of their stay and pay a steep daily fee for the privilege of visiting. But what a privilege it is! The country has no heavy industry and has carefully controlled the use and development of its natural resources. The native culture has been preserved and is evident daily in the dress of the people. Gorgeous Buddhist monasteries are scattered throughout the country. I could easily go on.

Relief block with inking equipment

It is through the Buddhist religion that one encounters printmaking in the country; there is no tradition of “fine art” printmaking in Bhutan. Instead, one finds prayer flags and printed “books” of scriptures. The books are not bound. They are long, loose sheets of paper, printed on both sides that are used by the monks and nuns during the chanting of scriptures.

The printing was, and still is, done with hand carved wood blocks onto either paper or cloth. Wealthier homes would have their own supply of  blocks  with prayers or scriptures that were available for use by those in the surrounding vicinity. The inks were made of  soot, a local type of alcoholic drink, molasses and glue  and applied with a rudimentary roller.  These were then pressed by hand or with a simple screw type press on the paper or cloth. Basic, yes, but it did the job. Of course, the technique of carving a block, inking the block and pressing the image onto the substrate is the same basic technique that is practiced throughout the world today.

The Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849) created the woodcut print The Great Wave off Kanagawa, often known simply as The Great Wave,  in the 1820’s. It is a beautiful example of ukiyo-e or “floating world” genre. The ukiyo-e woodblock prints depicted the impermanent and fleeting beauty associated with the world of entertainments. Later, landscape became part of the genre. The Great Wave is part of Hokusai’s Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji. It is also one of the best known, and most copied or appropriated artworks in the world.

Within the past two years, I have created three artworks that utilize The Great Wave.

Tsunami, a screenprint and collage on frosted mylar, was the first.

Tsunami, 35" x 23"

Hokusai’s print depicts man against the elements. (Mine, suitably, is female.) My piece shows the figure held in place by a contraption that may hold her against her will or, perhaps, by her own choice. the mechanism might be of her own making or made by others. However it was made, or why it exists, it has a very real consequence for this figure as she confronts the waves.There were 2 influences on the creation of this piece at that time–this was the point when the real estate market was crashing in the U.S. and many homeowners were now “underwater” in their home mortgages. The second reason was a recent trip to the state of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India, one area deeply affected by the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. I visited a 3 story temple that was revealed only after the tsunami. No one knew it existed before the waves removed the enormous amount of earth which covered the site!

Below is “Perpetual Motion,” a mixed media piece that is 16″ x 15 feet, created in 2011. The female figure again makes an appearance, this time swimming continuously through many conditions in the water, including “the wave.”

“Impossible Journey” is a small screenprint created for the 30th Anniversary Frogman’s Print and Paper Symposium Portfolio. (Frogman’s is offered in conjunction with the the University of South Dakota, Vermillion and offers workshops to artists from across the U.S. and Canada.)

Each artwork utilizes “The Great Wave.” It is one of the most recognized prints in the world. Due to this recognition, certain associations and expectations are formed by viewers. These are important elements for my work and provide a challenge and sense of satisfaction (when done well) to me as an artist.