David Forrest CBE, Gallery East Director, will be giving a Floor Talk in the gallery as part of the exhibition of Japanese Prints, 'Masterpieces of Graphic Design' at Australian Galleries Melbourne.

David Forrest CBE, Gallery East Director

Floor Talk

Saturday 25 July, 2pm

35 Derby Street Collingwood

Japanese Prints: Masterpieces of Graphic Design

The long and rich heritage of print making in Japan is well suited to the Japanese temperament which prizes excellence, precise craftsmanship, respect for materials, artistic sensitivity and an eye for composition, balance and colour.

Japanese woodblock prints of the 18th and 19th Centuries record an exotic, vibrant, colourful and highly sophisticated society in a form which constitutes a significant element in the history of world graphic art. The imagery takes the viewer into a world of Kabuki plays and actors, courtesans and beautiful women, heroes of legend, historical battles, the Japanese landscape, and erotica.

Ukiyo-e woodblock prints are the product of the genius of the artists, skills of the wood carver and the expertise of the printer; all brought together by the publisher. There was no concept of limited editions: prints were sold to meet demand. They were the equivalent of 20th Century posters: if no one bought them, they stopped production, but hugely successful images were produced until the woodblocks wore out. Even then, new blocks were cut to continue printing.

This heritage of print making experienced a renaissance both between the two World Wars and into the modern era but with the new development of artists designing, cutting and marketing their own works using every available printing technique. Japanese prints of all periods have been collected ever since Japan opened to the West in the mid-19th Century and continue to resonate with collectors, artists and the viewing public today.

For enquiries please contact melbourne@australiangalleries.com.au

Exhibition is available to view on our website.

Contact the host of Floor Talk with David Forrest CBE, Gallery East Director

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