Description

Univ of Oregon Museum [Published Date: 1977]. Paper covers, 87 pp. Illustrations (33 black and white, 4 color). Catalog published in connection with an exhibition held at the University of Oregon Museum of Art, June 5 - July 1, 1977. Essays on Sekino's life and art including one by the artist himself. Annotated capitions to each portrait. In acceptable+ condition. Glossy white illustrated paper covers have a coffee ring stain and another large liquid stain, both on the front cover. Bumping and creasing to edges and corners of covers and light to moderate overall scuffing, aging and soiling to covers as well. Binding tight (staple bound). Pages lightly aged but otherwise unmarked. Not Ex-library. Contents include: Notes; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Sekino Jun'ichiro: His Life His Art; Portrait Prints (by Sekin Jun'ichiro); List of Thirty-six Portrait prints; Catalogue Notes; Catalogue and Plates; Selected Bibliography. [From Introduction] This is the very first major showing in America of Sekino Jun'ichiro's collection of portraits. Only a few portraits have been shown earlier in this country. Indeed, the current exhibition which contains thirty-six prints is the largest portrait exhibition by Sekino anywhere, as even his one-man portrait show in the spring of 1975 in Tokyo had only twenty. This portrait exhibition is extensive not only because of the number of works exhibited, but also because of the variety of media and the wide span of dates covered. Out of thirty-six prints, twenty-seven are woodblock, seven are lithograph, and two are etchings. The earliest work goes as far back as 1946, and the newest has not been finished at this writing. The catalogue (except for the plates reproduced in color) and show have been arranged in chronological order to facilitate tracing the development of the techniques, interests, and philosophy of the artist in the span of the last thirty years. We have also focused our attention only on Sekino and his prints, since there are now many books available in English on such general topics as the history or techniques of Japanese prints. Some of these books are included in a short selected bibliography on page 87. A few prints in this exhibition have already been discussed either very briefly or in detail by other authors. We have, therefore, tried not to duplicate available information but rather to present new information, and to draw attention to the earlier comments in the list of references given in the catalogue section. It might be of some interest to note that the paper Sekino uses for printing is entirely handmade by a skilled Japanese craftsman and bears his watermarked name on one or more edge. In most cases this is not visible because of the protective mat boards or because without a light behind they are not readily discernible.