Bloemen tijdperk 1892

This is Kotaro Yamada's 'Bloemen Tijdperk,' a Japanese book, made with woodblock printing and bound with thread. In woodblock printing, the artist meticulously carves an image into a block of wood. The raised areas are inked, and then paper is carefully pressed against the block to transfer the design. It’s a labor-intensive process, requiring both artistic skill and technical expertise. Here, the image is made up of planes, which are printed in different colours and layered to create a range of motifs. Notice the way the natural grain of the wood subtly shows through, adding texture to the flat planes of colour. These subtle imperfections remind us of the human hand, and the amount of work involved in the production. We can appreciate the skill required to create the matrix and the skill of the printer in applying colour. When we consider this we acknowledge the book as an art object, moving beyond the traditional boundaries between art and craft.