Darrell and I have wanted to go the exhibit of Japanese Woodblock Prints at the Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) since it opened in April. Seems like there was always something keeping us away. So, when the weather turned so miserable this Memorial Day Weekend, we decided it would be a perfect time for an indoor activity and this show was right at the top of the list.
We both really enjoy Japanese Woodblock prints, Darrell from his passion of everything Japanese (which relates back to Greene & Greene and his furniture designing) and me from my love of printmaking. I've taken a class or two about the traditional methods of Moku Hanga (woodblock printing) and am a regular lurker at one of the best web forums on the subject www.barenforum.org .
We were at the museum in Volunteer Park soon after the doors opened. Its always a pleasure going to SAAM, the Art Deco building is a treasure all in itself and the park is one of Seattle's jewels. (Afterward, we took Lucy for a short walk through the squirrel infested grounds, so she was happy with the outing also).
Both Darrell and I agree the show was phenomenal. It was curated very nicely, with an exquisite selection showing the changing styles and eras. We were thrilled to see the excellent specimens with their rich colors intact, and the educational information about the prints, the process and their makers.
The collection, a promised gift to the museum, includes Hokusai's Great Wave, shown here with Darrell admiring it and seeing things he's never seen before. Wow.
Hurry- the exhibit closes on July 4, it's a must-see.
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