Edutainment > Yamagata no Yamadera

December 2005: Paul Binnie announced his latest landscape design 'Yamagata no Yamadera'. It is a new version of a design originally created and published by the artist in 1996 in Tokyo.

Here is the original text of the announcement by Paul Binnie:

Yamagata no Yamadera

A brand new version of my 1996 design, Yamagata no Yamadera (The Mountain Temple in Yamagata Prefecture) has just been completed, and will be for sale this week, while the first from the edition, # 1/100, will be launched in next weekend's auction on the site www.artelino.com.

This design, which was first produced in a small edition of only 40 impressions, had been entirely changed, and although the basic design concept is the same, the new print employs completely new colour blocks and a radically different colour scheme.

It is now available in an edition of 100, and joins the other designs in the Nihon Meisho Zu-e (Famous Views of Japan) series already completed, in both format and technique, with embossed signature and mica in the obi of the female figure in the middle ground.

It will soon appear on my website, www.paulbinnie.co.uk, where the first state of this design is on view, and it will be priced at the same level as all the other landscapes of the series at £280 (currently US $495) plus post and packing. It may be that some of you haven't had a chance to see my other recent print, Cho Musubi (Butterfly Bow), which is linked to the first page under 'Latest Print', but will soon be replaced by Yamagata no Yamadera.

Upcoming designs will enclude the next prints in the bijin-ga (beauties) series 'To Nishiki Bijin Awase' (A Collection of Eastern Brocade Beauties), tattoos from the 'Edo Sumi Hyaku Shoku' series (One Hundred Shades of Ink of Edo) and designs of Jack, our whippet, and the large-size Grand Canyon print for later next year.

This will be my last release of 2005, and so to all my friends and collectors, I'd like to send all the best wishes of the season, and I hope you will like the new prints that I have planned for 2006.

Best wishes

Paul Binnie
December 2005

Version from 1996

It is interesting to compare Paul Binnie's first version from 1996 with the new one from 2006. It is a difference of 10 years and shows the artistic development and his mature state. When Paul had created the first version, he then lived in Tokyo and had learned all aspects of Japanese woodblock printmaking like carving and printing under the guidance of Seki Kenji.

The first version of Yamagata no Yamadera was done in reduction woodblock technique. It has been so far the only print performed by Paul Binnie in this technique. Reduction woodblock printmaking involves the destruction of the block(s) by the carving/printing process. Therefore, and due to its small edition of only 40, this early version may be considered a milestone in Paul's artistic career and can be considered as rather rare. If you happen to possess a copy, guard it well and better not frame it. You are sitting on a little treasure pot.

Dieter and Yorie

The images on this web site are the property of the artist(s) and or the artelino GmbH and/or a third company/institution.  Reproduction, public display and any commercial use of these images, in whole or in part, require the expressed written consent of the artist(s) and/or the artelino GmbH. .