By Cameron Norman, SPECIAL TO THE ADVANCE
Gyotaku is a Japanese printmaking art form begun in the mid 1800’s, during the Edo period. It was originally created to accurately measure the length of fish caught in contests. In this way, no one could exaggerate the size of the fish; the print was a perfect rendition.
At some point, it’s thought that Japanese royalty took an interest and began commissioning artists to print these fish images on silk. Gyotaku, which literally means “fish-rubbing,” became an art form.
The images you see here I created by covering a caught fish with ink. I use the black Sumi-e ink, which I brush onto a fish, after which I drape rice paper on top and press down gently in order to pull a print. Several prints can be made from one catch, and as a bonus, the fish can then be eaten.
When my husband and I lived in Grand Marais, Minnesota, I displayed and sold my prints in a wonderful, and perfectly named, restaurant, The Angry Trout.
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You can contact Cameron Norman at ecam.nom@gmail.com, or call her at (218)370-7988.
The Advance is entering uncharted waters here. Thanks, Cameron, for this introduction to an old, yet novel art form. Let's have more.
Beautiful!