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Meet Lou
The artist
I am Lou Farrell. I studied film production and cinematography at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, have worked as a chef in French restaurants, where creative presentation is crucial, and have been growing bonsai for the past twenty years. I began making fish prints for friends during the 2010s and now it is my chosen medium.
The art
Gyotaku is really a new art, and we may call it "ichthyography" so as to correspond to photography.
Yoshio Hiyama
Gyotaku: the art and technique of the Japanese fish print, 1964
Beginning in the 1830’s, Japanese fishermen started making Gyotaku inked prints of fish on paper in order to document their catches. Gyotaku quickly transformed into a fine art as the shoguns began commissioning work and amassing large collections. I continue this tradition by making fine art prints using only water-soluble sumi ink on rice paper. My style is defiantly that of a traditionalist.
Each print is unique. A fish is inked and a single image is transferred to rice paper by hand rubbing. The eyes only are painted in to finish the work. I do not make corrections to the monoprint image and do not flatten and mat the rice paper to a firmer board when framing. Instead, I leave the paper wavy. It suggests the movement of water as the fish swims through it. I prefer this simple look, representational and abstract at the same time, more like the fish fossils that I used to collect as a child in the Pocono Mountain shale beds, rather than a true to life painting. I believe that this style of depiction trusts the viewer to fill in the details and construct their own image of the work in their minds. Viewing then becomes a collaboration between the artist and and my partner observers.
Recently, I have begun to incorporate different materials, glass, window sashes, exterior paint, acrylics, and water plants into my prints. Those are not yet ready for display, but I am excited about this new direction.
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