#StaffPicks During a recent exhibition of Helen Frankenthaler woodcut prints at the gallery, I frequently overheard viewers suggesting the works were either paintings or watercolor. Though they were mistaken, this was absolutely Frankenthaler's intention--she set out to make a woodcut with "painterly resonance". To achieve this objective, she collaborated with master printer Kenneth Tyler, Ukiyo-e carver Yasuyuki Shibata, and papermaker Tom Straienese using unprecedented methods and processes culminating in the Tales of Genji, 1998. Tyler suggested Frankenthaler paint directly on wood as a study. Shibata cut carvings after these prototype paintings. Strianese made hundreds of paper samples to replicate the pattern and tone of the different wood grains. A special press was used in which the inks could bleed into a painterly effect. They worked on the series for three years and the outcome of this tremendous effort was six stunning, pioneering woodcuts that mirrored the entire process. The colors, compositions and wood-grain meld into one another in a harmonious balance. The process may have been arduous, but the results resonate as effortless and elegant. – Sang Lee, Special Projects, @worstepever -- Artwork info: Helen Frankenthaler, Tales of Genji II, 1998, ukiyo-e woodcut 47 x 42 inches, edition of 35, signed and numbered -- #Frankenthaler #HelenFrankenthaler #woodcut #ukiyoe #kentyler #kennethtyler #talesofgenji #genji #harmony #collaboration #papermaking #handmade #groupeffort #effortandease #painterly #painting #bornatonce #watercolor #series #intention (at Leslie Sacks Gallery)
