Woodcut as an option of personal pictorial expression

Abstract

Čovjek od pamtivijeka koristi drvo za razne svrhe, stoga ne čudi činjenica da su se u određenom trenutku ljudske povijesti drvene ploče počele koristi za izradu pečata, uzoraka za otiskivanje tkanina, a kasnije i za izradu kompleksnih umjetničkih dijela. Drvorez je najstarija grafička tehnika visokog tiska. Pojam visoki tisak odnosi se na sve tiskovne površine (matrice) čiji se ispupčeni dijelovi plohe otiskuju. U antici se tehnika drvoreza koristila za izradu pečata i uzoraka za tkanine. Srednjovjekovni Europljani također su poznavali drvorez i koristi ga u iste svrhe, no svoj prvi veći razvoj tehnika doživljava pod kraj 14. stoljeća kad započinje masovna proizvodnja papira na europskom tlu. Prvi europski drvorezi otisnuti na papiru bili su igraće karte i sakralne slike (kao amuleti, za molitvu), a ubrzo se počela koristiti i za otiskivanje knjiga. Smatra se kako je vrhunac kvalitete umjetničkog izražaja, ali i vještine izrade drvoreza postignut krajem 14. stoljeća i tijekom 15. stoljeća – kad su neki od najboljih umjetnika tog vremena napravili svoje drvoreze. Sredinom 16. stoljeća drvorez odlazi u zaborav zbog pojave grafičkih tehnika dubokog tiska. Na dalekom istoku, u Japanu, drvorez je poznat još od 6. stoljeća zahvaljujući kineskom utjecaju, no do masovnog korištenja i razvoja tehnike došlo je tek u drugoj polovici 18. stoljeća. Japanski drvorez, odnosno ukiyo-e stil slikarstva karakterističan je po svojoj tematici – najčešće je to bio prikaz različitih scena iz svakodnevnog života. Osim karakteristične žanrovski kategorizirane tematike, specifične uporabe perspektive i oblikovanja likova bez osjenčavanja, japanski drvorez se ističe prije svega zbog upotrebe boja – od nekoliko njih pa do više desetaka različitih boja. Masovna izrada drvoreza zahtijevala je pomnu organizaciju i suradnju između izdavača, slikara, drvoresca i tiskara. Popularnost mu otpada početkom 20. stoljeća kao rezultat nagle industrijalizacije Japana. Ukiyo-e stil je dosta utjecao na radove europskih impresionista, art nouveau, a posredno i na ekspresionizam. Njemački ekspresionisti (kolektiv die Brücke) su za svoju produhovljenu, antinaturalističku umjetnost najčešće koristili drvorez. Ekspresionisti su proces izrade drvoreza asocirali sa neiskvarenim razdobljem, odnosno sa razdobljem kad je čovjek bio bliži s prirodom. Iako je kolektiv bio kratkog vijeka, njihova upotreba drvoreza potaknula je u Europi ponovno veći interes za tu tehniku.People have used wood for various purposes since time immemorial, so it is not surprising that in a certain point of human history wooden boards began to be used to make seals, patterns for printing fabrics and later to create complex pieces of art. Woodcut is the oldest printmaking technique (in this master’s thesis referred as graphic technique) of relief printing. The term relief printing refers to all printing surfaces (matrices) whose raised parts of the surface are printed. In antiquity, woodblock printing was used to make seals and patterns for fabrics. Medieval Europeans also knew that technique and used it for the same purposes, but the technique experienced its first major development towards the end of the 14th century, when mass production of paper began on European soil. The first European woodcuts printed on paper were playing cards and sacred images (as amulets, for prayer) and it soon began to be used for printing books. It is believed that the peak of the quality of artistic expression, as well as the skill of making woodcuts, was reached in the late 14th century and during the 15th century – when some of the best artists of the time made their woodcuts. In the mid-16th century, woodcuts fell into oblivion due to the advent of printmaking techniques of intaglio printing. In the far East, in Japan, woodcuts have been known since the 6th century thanks to Chinese influence, but the technique did not become widely used and developed until the second half of the 18th century. Japanese woodcuts, or ukiyo-e, are characterized by their subject matter – most often depicting various scenes from everyday life. In addition to the characteristic genre-categorized themes, specific use of perspective, and the design of figures without shading, Japanese woodcuts stand out primarily for their use of colors – from a few to dozens of different colors. The mass productions of woodcuts required careful organization and cooperation between publishers, painters, woodcutters and printers. Its popularity declined in the early 20th century as a result of the rapid industrialization of Japan. The ukiyo-e style greatly influenced the work of European impressionists, art nouveau, and indirectly expressionism. The German expressionists (the die Brücke collective) most often used woodcuts for their spiritualized, anti-naturalistic art. The expressionists associated the process of making woodcuts with an uncorrupted era, that is, with a period when man was closer to nature. Although the collective was short-lived, their use of woodcuts stimulated renewed interest in the technique in Europe