Tom Kristensen, born 1962, is a passionate ukiyo-e collector and printmaker from Australia who works in Japanese 'sosaku hanga' style: self-carved and self-printed with natural Japanese pigments on hand-made washi paper. Tom was first discovered by Eric van den Ing from Saru Gallery, where Paul Binnie was first introduced. In 2004 the artist Tom Kristensen has begun to work on a series '36 Views of Green Island'.
"In September of 2004 I started work on my Green Island series. These are images based on my digital photography and they carry the unmistakable signs of computer manipulation. In redesigning the landscape from a set of "filtered" shapes a new type of beauty emerges. While I embrace new technology I make use of the old methods and traditional materials. Thirty-six views will be made, using Japanese tools, mulberry washi and mineral pigments. The prints will be made from 4 to 6 blocks in an edition of 25 copies."
"Each view will illustrate some unique aspect of the island. Inspiration will come from the history of the place, from people past and present, from the geology, geography, ecology, botany, zoology, or from the salt air itself. Each print will come in a glassine folder bearing a short explanation of the picture."
"Hopefully, the Green Island series will deliver a sense of both the beauty I see in the landscape, and the beauty I find in the process of making woodblock prints."
Author: Tom Kristensen (Edited by Dieter Wanczura)