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Edutainment > Articles on Art > Australian Artists >   <  36 Views of Green Island (15) - Grass and Banksia  >  

Tom Kristensen

Grass and Banksia
copyright Tom Kristensen, 2005

Tom Kristensen, born 1962, is a young artist from Australia who works in the tradition of Japanese woodblock printmaking. On this page, he writes about his latest print from the series "36 Views of Green Island ".

Here is the original text written by Tom Kristensen. Text and images are copyright protected and may not be used or distributed for other than private use without the prior consignment of the author/artist.

36 Views of Green Island

"These 36 views are presented in the Sosaku Hanga tradition: self-carved and hand printed, using Japanese tools, Japanese mulberry washi and traditional pigment colours. Each print is made from 4 to 6 blocks and printed in an edition of 25 copies."

Grass and Banksia - No. 15

"Australia is the driest continent. Winter is mild and summer is hot. The wildflowers bloom year round but the most spectacular display comes before the spring. Colourful small flowers are sprinkled over the ground and in the low woody shrubs. Flowers in the trees are important food for nectar feeding birds, but are barely noticeable from the ground."

"In Feudal times the Shogun would have the cherry orchard protected inside a walled compound. Cherry season remains a time of great significance in Japan. Large crowds gather to picnic and view the ancient trees, with heavy boughs propped up, showering a gentle rain of pink petals. The transience of beauty is a symbol for the passing of life. In Japanese prints cherry blossom is used to denote the season of spring. Young men are seen tearing cherry branches from the trees as they grasp the opportunities of youth."

"A sprig of cherry or plum is often found in scenes from inside the Yoshiwara district, where prostitutes lived. In prints illustrating the Kabuki theatre the spirit of the cherry tree is seen confronted by the axe. There is a bittersweet sadness in the beauty of the pretty pink petals."

Tom Kristensen
June 2005

More about Tom Kristensen

The artist was first discovered by Eric van den Ing, co-author of a classic ukiyo-e book "Beauty and Violence" and owner of Saru Gallery. After Eric van den Ing had placed Tom's woodblock prints on his online gallery, a few days later a collector had bought the whole set. Mr. van den Ing seems to have a "magic hand" for new artists. He was the first to introduce Paul Binnie in 2000 to a larger online community of friends of Japanese prints.

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Australian Artists