The Marine Park Alliance brought the time-honored Japanese tradition of Gyotaku Printmaking to life on Sunday afternoon, July 19th.
Visitors to the Salt Marsh Nature Center, located at 3302 Avenue U, gathered under the trees for a fascinating demonstration of what can only be described as a natural fusion between art and marine biology.
The group had the opportunity to examine three fresh fish specimens and gain an understanding of their anatomy, before delving into the art of printmaking itself. Visitors learned that the tradition originated in the mid-1800s, prior to the invention of photography, when competitive Japanese fisherman and feudal samurai lords sought a way to record the size and species of their trophy catch.
By painting their catch with black Cuttlefish ink and creating an impression on rice paper, they discovered they could keep an accurate life-sized record. Since the ink was entirely food-safe, the fisherman could easily rinse off the ink and prepare and eat the fish afterward.
Presenters demonstrated the method on a Red Snapper and a Branzino, first rolling the ink onto each fish and then covering each with rice paper and applying even pressure. Guests were invited to create their own prints and enjoyed taking part in such a unique cultural experience.
To learn about future events, visit https://www.marineparkalliance.org/events/.
