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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
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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
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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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