The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-14
Art Talks
Jessie Marion Campbell.
Block Prints.


Last week we talked OF collecting
az fine art and suggested Ameri- |
can glass as laving interesting pos
sibilities for the amateur collector.
But perhaps the fragility OF glass
appals you. Or Its proper housing
Is n problem. You travel about7
Then why not block prlnts2
Block prints have n decorative
value; which makes them n present
Joy; there are variations In prints
from the Same blocks which sharp
ems our critical sense; usually. the
editions are definitely, which makes
appreciation IN value more certain.
and they are comparatively inexpen-
sive. therefore their appeal Is not
confined to collectors of unlimited
means.
The technique OF printing from
blocks IN so simple that Is It almost
| primitive.
The design Ia be printed is cut
on wood literally woOk blocks, ono
| block for each color. The block Il
mixed. or pressed on n pad OF moist
| color then on sheet OF paper.
! VOLTA. \ picture.
Very simple, but for good re
suits the artist must have an CN-
! quisitc sense Of line and OF mass and
/ ilt lhhNl pNFN'NA h'' " ti' no WI
/ ors mush never overlap each other,
offset as It is technically called,
for that ruins the value of the print.
also the degree OF pressure OF tho
block on the color pad and again on
the paper, determine marked grad
uatlons in effect.
Instead of cutting the design In
wood. many artists now use limo
leum. The large proportion OF cork
| In linoleum gives n resident. close
grained medium that picks up color
nicely and IL subject to much va
riety In printing.
| All Japanese prints are block
prints. Connnisseurs have long ap.
preciated the exquisite qualities OF
these prints and there are Collec.
tions of great value In this country
Their delicacy. their rhythm of line
their economy of detail! In stimulat'
ing the imagination, are some ol
their nlluring qualities The sure
ness with which uiroshcgi will use
but two lines to suggest tempcstu,
: GUS sea, is astounding. a blank
piece OF paper becomes infinite
ether when a few lines depist Mount
Fujii I'm the foreground. And these
effects are not accidental. japanese
artists repeat them time after time
. after time,
Charles Bartlett IL an English
artist who has printed most et-
fcctively with blocks Tho sky IN
his "Celou Sea Is OF wonderfully
, graduated blue, effected by varia,
, tion in pressure In the printing. Ills
. Tai is executed with such an infini.
4 ~ Of detail that ono marvels tho|
so simple "a medium can he cocrce,
into an effect so elaborate, Aftel
, his sketches I'm India, Mr., Bartlett
4 made trip TO China and later tI
I the South Sea island, ad his WORT
? was strongly Influenced by It, Th'
4 edition OF the Tai, which we men
+ toned above, has been exhausted
% All the copies are In the hands O
collectors ur dealers.
Another English artist who print
1 decorative pictures from blocks &
+, Hall Thorpe. the interior decorator
p Mr. Thorpe wished prints into hein'
y to finish rooms he was furn.shing
r lie is moderuist. lie likes his co,
ors unmiNed and thus he use
them And Charmingly he does II
\ Mr.. Thorpe has the distinction u
r. having made the very largest prin
!. from blocks II Is "a by inches
and was exhibited at the Brown
Robertson galleries on Madison
n avenue this spring,
= Wlnold Roiss, OF New York, eN
hibltcd "A series OF strongly symbol
prints this season.
4 Captivating were the block prin,
o cd Christmas cards sent To friend
d last season by Frank Street. the Il
illustrator uf Leonia, New Jersey
done in black on green Japanes
?. paper. and touched IN with rec
y they had most festive air.