Introduction
After five years of making Surimono
Albums, I felt that it was time to take a break and work on something
else for a while. I certainly didn't think that I had 'mined' all that
I could from those Albums, and indeed, will probably return to do another
one in the near future, but felt that it was time for a bit of a change of
pace!
The theme wasn't too difficult to find, as collectors here in Japan
have been after me for years to make more prints of the 'bijin-ga'
type (literally: beautiful woman pictures). Now I don't make prints 'to
order' but I too am interested in doing work like this, and when I was
thinking over many possible ideas for this year's project, this one
bubbled up to the top.
Once I had basically settled on the overall concept - the theme
and the schedule - I had to make a choice about the four designs to use.
Although the selection to choose from is vast indeed, I didn't want four
'random' designs, but four that would fit a number of varied criteria:
- of course fit the seasonal theme
- blend together well to make a unified set
- offer me a personal challenge in the making
- not be so difficult that I couldn't handle the job
- be attractive to potential collectors
- be affordable to produce
- cover a logical historical sequence
Given that many bases to cover, it wasn't easy at all, but I
finally selected four designs that I think fit the bill. The first one
is a fan print designed by Yashima Gakutei,
whose work appears a number of times in my Surimono Albums. It is a mid-Edo
design, but depicts a Heian-era court lady. It represents Spring
in this Album. The other three prints follow a gradually advancing
chronology:
- summer: an Edo-era image ...
- autumn: a Meiji-period image ...
... and perhaps you can imagine when the winter print was
designed ...
(The series was well-subscribed during 2004 - the year it was made -
but is not yet 'sold out'. If you would like to collect these prints,
and wish to enter a 'back issue' subscription, information on how to
do so is on this page).
Thank you for your interest in this work!
David
Seseragi Studio
Ome, Tokyo
