About this item
An inspirational how-to course on Japanese woodblock printings history and techniques, with guidance on materials and studio practices, step-by-step demonstrations, and examples of finished works by modern masters of the medium as well as historic pieces. A Modern Guide to the Ancient Art of mokuhanga An increasingly popular yet age-old art form, Japanese woodblock printing mokuhanga is embraced for its non-toxic character, use of handmade materials, and easy integration with other printmaking techniques. In this comprehensive guide, artist and printmaker April Vollmerone of the best known mokuhanga practitioners and instructors in the Westcombines her deep knowledge of this historic printmaking practice with expert step-by-step instruction, guidance on materials and studio practices, and a diverse collection of prints by leading contemporary artists.
About the Author
April Vollmer is an artist and writer with an M.F.A. from Hunter College, NYC, who specializes in the waterbased Japanese woodblock technique called mokuhanga, who often combines contemporary and traditional ways of working. Awards include a stay in Japan with the Nagasawa Art Park Program in 2004, residency fellowships at the MacDowell Colony, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Women's Studio Workshop, Sicevo Art Colony, Serbia, and the Fine Arts Assembly, Visegrad, Bosnia. She was on the board of the First and Second International Mokuhanga Conferences held in Japan in 2011 and 2014.
April Vollmer has developed her mokuhaga teaching curriculum over 20 years in workshops across the country, and has taught regularly at the Lower East Side Printshop in New York City. She has given classes at Japan Society in New York; the Women's Studio Workshop in upstate New York; Making Art Safely in New Mexico; the Farnsworth Museum in Maine; Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, and many other locations. Her work has been published in the journals Science, Printmaking Today and Contemporary Impressions. She enjoyed a writing residency at the Mokuhanga Innovation Laboratory residency, Yamanashi, Japan, in 2013 to work on her book. She maintains an informative website at www.aprilvollmer.com.
Vollmer's work has been exhibited in New York City, nationally and internationally. In 2007 she had a major exhibition at the Steinhardt Gallery of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden where she also gives yearly demonstrations of mokuhanga at the Cherry Blossom Festival. In 2008 she traveled to Belgrade, Serbia, for an exhibition of her woodcuts at the Faculty of Fine Arts. Her prints have been exhibited at the Phillips Museum of Art, Silicon Gallery, AIR Gallery, the Islip Art Museum, International Print Center New York and many other locations.
