Since 2017, Jacob Hashimoto and Durham Press have been exploring prints which reference the bamboo and paper kites Hashimoto uses to create large scale installation pieces. In previous work with Durham Press, these "kites," constructed from multiple woodblocks overlaid on a wooden frame, are continuously layered on top of each other to create a dense but energetic composition. Each layer builds complexity as the semi-transparent inks both reveal and conceal the layer below, much like the effect of the similarly transparent paper used in Hashimoto's installations.
In both his installations and previous prints with Durham Press, Hashimoto's kites work together to create an intricate composition - in Index I and II, these kites stand alone. Though isolated, these kites still interact; their new modular form can be played with by both artist and viewer, adjusting their composition on the wall to explore the relationships between color and form. Index I and II act as a catalogue of the kites used in Hashimoto's other collaborations with Durham Press such as his previous two editions The Calamitous, yet Normal Circumstance of the Universe and Chance Encounters in the Dream (which was, sometimes, more like a nightmare), dissecting these prints by breaking them down into their component parts.
Index I and II, each an edition of nineteen, are both comprised of ninety-six woodblock prints measuring 7 5/8 inches squared on handmade Japanese Igarashi Kozo 450gsm paper. The prints feature a circular kite at the center, overlaid with a design of varying colors and impressions. Each kite was fabricated from designs sent from Hashimoto's studio which were then cut on the CNC (computer numerical control) at Durham Press and finished by hand. Both editions are available as a full set, and Index II as sets of 12. For more information, please contact us as sales@durhampress.com.
