The Invisible Sea (Naval Hill)

2024
Mokuhanga - Japanese watercolour woodblock
1 block, 7 colours, 9 baren passes
image size  495 x 400 mm

paper size -  610 x 480 mm

Edition of 4

Artwork is sold unframed

This original Mokuhanga (Japanese Watercolour Woodblock Print) takes inspiration from the idea of a missing ocean in Bloemfontein. Naval Hill is so named because of Naval cannons installed on it during the Boer War but the continued use of the name begs imagining a missing sea. By stretching that imagination back in time, the ‘Invisible Sea’ alludes to the prehistoric sea of Gondwana that characterizes the current geography and geology of the karoo region in which Bloemfontein is situated. In a time before humankind this area was an inland sea, a prehistoric sanctuary for reptiles and amphibians.

The imagery of ‘Invisible Sea (Naval Hill)’ is inspired by my observations of the reflection of clouds in a body of water. After studying these forms, I made calligraphic marks in sumi ink directly onto the woodblock. These forms were then carved into the wood, creating unexpected imagery that I then exploited in the printing process to create the final image. Using a Japanese registration system called kento enabled me to rotate the woodblock multiple times and employ selective inking and baren pressure to derive a multi-layered, complex image from a single carved woodblock. Ochre, Indigo, Turquoise and Cyan are layered in shifting intensities to evoke the prehistoric residue of water, wind, and sky on the land today.

This work was commissioned by Art Bank for the National Museum in Bloemfontein. As part of the commission, a process video of creating the print was made for the museum’s education program.