Scholten Japanese Art
Paul Binnie: Landscape Woodblock Prints
Paul Binnie: Landscape Woodblock Prints
Paul Binnie
To mark the release of a set of new works by Paul Binnie (b. 1967) Scholten Japanese Art is proud to present a selection of his landscape prints.
Binnie is widely regarded as one of the most important artists working in the tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking today. Working in the shin-hanga ('new print') style of the early to mid-20th century, Binnie incorporates into his works the strong lines and bold shapes of traditional ukiyo-e prints, while also utilizing vibrant color and techniques such as bokashi (shading) and gomazuri (sesame seed printing) to convey the different atmospheres of his landscapes through light and texture.
The first two prints in this exhibition are his newly released works, "The Steps at Black’s Beach," which depict a slice of the rugged landscape near the artist’s new home in Southern California. Other works follow in the footsteps of the ukiyo-e and shin hanga tradition of illustrating "Famous Views of Japan", and in his "Travels with the Master" series Binnie pays homage to the shin hanga printmaker, Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950), by portraying the same scenes as his artistic mentor had done in his own travels almost a century prior. The final two prints depict wild and stormy landscapes set in Holland and the United Kingdom.
Image Credit:
Paul Binnie, The Steps at Black's Beach: Moonlight, 2020 (detail)
Japanese woodblock landscape prints are a subject I feel connects my work back through the history of the famous artists of ukiyo-e, Hokusai and Hiroshige, forward through the great shin hanga masters Hasui and Yoshida, and onward into the 21st century. I made my first landscape designs when I lived in Tokyo and the newest series of California beach scenes reflect my current home.
Paul Binnie
Paul Binnie, The Steps at Black's Beach: Sunset, 2020 (detail)
Courtesy of Paul Binnie studio
Courtesy of Paul Binnie studio
Born and raised Scotland, Paul Binnie studied fine art at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art before moving to Paris to work as a painter after graduation. It is in Paris that Binnie began collecting Japanese woodblock prints, and it is at this time that Japanese design elements began to appear within his works. His interest in collecting would become a catalyst for him to move to Japan in 1993 to undertake a six-year apprenticeship under master woodblock printer, Seki Kenji (of publisher Doi-hangaten,) where he produced works that followed in the tradition of other shin hanga artists such as Natori Shunsen (1886-1960) featuring kabuki actor portraits, Ito Shinsui (1898-1972) and Torii Kotondo (1900-1976) for their depictions of beautiful women, as well as landscapes inspired by Kawase Hasui (1883-1957) and Hiroshi Yoshida (1876-1950.)
Paul Binnie has exhibited in Tokyo, Paris, London and New York, and his works are in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The British Museum and The Rijksmuseum, along with many other arts institutions around the world. He currently lives and works in San Diego, California.
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