GIFU PREFECTURE / JAPAN
Having left the Awagami Paper factory on the island of Tokushima where for hundreds of years the ancient art of paper making using the Kozo (mulberry tree) and where I get my paper made,
we headed north into the central alps of Japan.
West of Tokyo and north east of Osaka we were driving late at night and felt a change of air, it felt cleaner and colder with a sudden absence of land to our left which indicated a large river and high mountains, we pulled over, settled to bed and waited for morning.
We found ourselves in between steep slopes full of pines and forests, we set off looking for access above into the foothills, it has become instinct which finds my locations, we found access through a green tea plantation which has access roads above to shrines and forest.We slowly climbed the van to the end of the fire trail and left on foot in search of something special.
The roads were decayed from no use and the forest was taking back what was theirs, the trails followed the contours of the mountainside, winding back and forth, looking above and below me in the hopes to find a suitable tree that could become the next print. High above the road I found what looked like my new piece.
I inspected the stump, despite the precarious position, resting on a steep slippery slope, teetering on the edge of a three and a half metre drop off I decided this was the one.
I ran back to grab my gear and returned after a quick van made ramen.
While I was returning to the tree I was deep in thought about the trip so far, being less cautious and walking like I knew the area, I heard a gut wrenching scream. I froze, a dark fuzzy figure about fifty
metres away was bounding up the rocky incline, it was a juvenile Black bear.
I panicked wondering if their mother was far behind them or if the little bear had strayed away from the protection of their mum. My mind ran wild and my eyes played tricks all afternoon.
Fortunately the bear never returned and I was content to continue my work undisturbed for rest of my time there. I didn’t know what species of tree I was working on until I cut through and lifted the old top. To my amazement, with the smell permeating out between the fresh cuts, it was a Red Cedar, the aroma of cedar will forever remind me of sauna’s and this print. I felt incredibly lucky to spend the time I did with this tree, being able to watch as the last of the suns rays shone through the thick foliage of the forest, darkness chased me out for the day and I returned the next day with the light.
The steep muddy slope made the process much more difficult, forcing me to adapt to the situation, wrapping my arm around the trunk as I held on with one arm and cut with the other, a few times I came close to falling off the edge.
I constantly readjusted my position until I had worked my way through the cuts. The texture and the detail which came through with my process filled me with promise that this print would be something special. I love the texture which was left by the ants creating an imperfect yet perfect print, the meeting of dualities.
With a freshly sharpened plane, the shavings just melted away, the aroma that came off with every passing stroke evoked memories from childhood.
The growth patterns are clearly defined, creating visible contours from the start.
I called this print Two worlds, this summed up my experience while travelling around Japan.
The two centre Hearts of this print represent the old and the new ways of Japanese culture, both beautiful in their own way.
The pulsing waves of craft meeting together to create yet another beautiful way of existence.
The disturbed outer fringe of the tree creating a new home for some local ants.
Seeing the decay of the outer bark represents for me western effect on foreign cultures, everything is cause and effect.
I hope the Japanese culture can ward off outside influence and remain a strong, traditional and true to its heart culture where the dedication and pursuit of excellence remains.
