Gyotaku Fish Printing
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Matthew 4:19
The fish has been a symbol of Christianity since ancient times. But what does the fish have to do with our faith?
We learned in the video that the Greek word for fish is ICHTUS. Each of the five letters in the Greek word for fish is an initial for one of the five words of a phrase. Do you remember what the phrase is?
Why did the early Christians use this symbol?
Why do you think they chose this phrase?
- "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior."
Why did the early Christians use this symbol?
- The fish would not be an obvious Christian symbol to persecutors. It is said that during the persecution of the early church, a Christian meeting someone new would draw a single arc in the sand. If the other person was a Christian, he or she would complete the drawing of a fish with a second arc. If the second person was not a Christian, drawing the half-symbol would not reveal the first person as a Christian.
- When Christians do not need to worry about persecution, the Christian fish symbol often has "Jesus" written inside or includes a cross symbol.
Why do you think they chose this phrase?
- It is because every true Christian believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and his Savior
Jesus' ministry is associated with fish: he chose several fishermen to be his disciples and declared he would make them "fishers of men."
What is Gyotaku fish printing?
Gyotaku is the Japanese art of fish printing. “Gyo” means fish, and “taku” means rubbing. As the story goes, fishermen in Japan invented this art form as a way to record the size of their catch. After all, there were no cameras! Ink was applied directly to the fish, and the image was printed on rice paper to memorialize the moment.
Contemporary artists have elevated this practice to an art form, adding beautiful backgrounds, colorful inks, and other embellishments.
Watch this video about the Japanese art of printing fish.
Contemporary artists have elevated this practice to an art form, adding beautiful backgrounds, colorful inks, and other embellishments.
Watch this video about the Japanese art of printing fish.
What do you think about the Japanese method of recording their catch?
Heather Fortner is a contemporary gyotaku artist and teacher. She runs the Sea Fern Studio, a nature printing studio in Toledo, Oregon. This is an example of her work.
Heather Fortner is a contemporary gyotaku artist and teacher. She runs the Sea Fern Studio, a nature printing studio in Toledo, Oregon. This is an example of her work.
What do you like about this piece of artwork? How many fish do you see? Do they look the same or different from each other?
Objectives:
During this lesson you will use investigation, and experimentation in printmaking. You will demonstrate safety and proper procedures while using materials and tools. You will understand and recognize cultural uses for artwork during different times. You will design and create a print of a fish.
Materials:
- Printing ink of tempera paint
- Brayers or brushes (Using a brush may be easier to apply the ink evenly, and provide the opportunity to use more than one color).
- An inking plate or other flat surface
- Paper (Try rice paper for a fun twist.)
- Newspaper or another method to keep the tables clean.
- Gyotaku fish printing replicas
- Artificial water plants (for aquariums) for printing
- Real fish for demonstration and discussion on anatomy of fish
Process:
- Identify and study a fish. Note the external features. What kinds of lines do you see? How does the fish swim? What features do you want to emphasize in your print?
- This drawing identifies the parts of a typical fish. Certain orifices including the nares or nostrils, the eye, the gill cover, and the vent (anus) need special attention if you are using the fish to print because they tend to leak.. The lateral line is a row of scales modified as a sensory organ that senses vibration in the water. This is often a distinct feature on many prints. Different fish have modifications of these features. It is important to know the characteristics of the fish in order to create a realistic image.
- Get a piece of paper to print on and write your name on the back.
- Load the brayer (or brush) with ink.
- Place the water plants on newspaper and apply ink with the brayer (brush), going in several directions to ensure full coverage.
- Place the paper over the plants and gently press down and rub. (BE CAREFUL TO KEEP YOUR PAPER IN THE SAME PLACE ON THE PLANTS)
- Slowly pull the paper back, revealing the print.
- Place on tray and let it dry.
- Once dry, place the fish on newspaper and apply ink with the brayer (brush), going in several directions to ensure full coverage.
- Place the print paper over the fish and gently press down and rub, molding the paper to the fish. (BE CAREFUL TO KEEP YOUR PAPER IN THE SAME PLACE ON THE FISH)
- Slowly pull the paper back, revealing the print.
- You may print from the same fish multiple times, letting the reduction in ink add an overlapping affect.
- Place on tray and let it dry.
- Once dry, using your best handwriting, use a black sharpie to write the Bible verse, Matthew 4:19, along the bottom of your artwork.
- Once completed the artwork upload to Artsonia.
Standards:
- VA:Cr2.1
- VA:Cr2.2
- VA:Cr3.1
- VA:Cn10.1
- VA:Cn11.1
- VA:Pr4.1