This collection of works elevates the fish-printing technique, which fishermen have long used to record their catches, to the level of artistic expression. Fish prints are a technique of recording the shape and texture of fish by applying ink directly to the fish's body and pressing Japanese paper against it. It was a widely used recording method in the days before photography. This book explores the folk traditions behind these images, while also showcasing the fish's form as if it were a painting, emerging from the varying shades of ink. The book cover was designed by Akira Uno, who is known as an illustrator and stage designer.
[Title] Fish Print [Publisher] Geibi Publishing Co., Ltd. [Publication Date] May 15, 1960 [Number of Pages] No page numbers [Size] Approximately 35.8 x 26.3 x 2.0 cm, 0.88 kg [Format] Hardcover, with a transparent resin cover. [Title Reading] Giyotaku [Author(s) / Editor(s)] Isshu Nagata / Author, Masuji Ibuse / Text, Yoshio Hiyama / Text, Noboru Ogata / Title, Akira Uno & Ryuichi Yamashiro / Design [Printing] Gravure Seikosha / Printing, Hosono Seibunjo / Binding [ISBN] [Condition] Used [4] Fair to Below Average (Box slightly damaged/slightly yellowed, cover slightly torn with repair marks, top and bottom edges yellowed with age, spine corners slightly bumped) [Accessories] Box, transparent resin cover [Published in] None [Related Exhibitions]
Isshu Nagata (1903-1988)
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1903. In 1923, he entered the Department of Western Painting at Tokyo School of Fine Arts (now Tokyo University of the Arts) and studied under Takeji Fujishima. During his time as a student, he participated in the avant-garde theater movement. He was also deeply involved in the proletarian art movement. He wrote extensively on overseas photographic trends and photo criticism, and was active in the fields of mountain photography and fishing. Their activities span a wide range. He died on April 9, 1988, in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Source: Japanese Photographer Dictionary, P.232)
