gyotaku
gyotaku (gee-o-tak-u) is the 19th century japanese art of fish printing. samurai warriors used it to keep records of their catches. i am using it as proof that i am totally insane.this art teacher stopped at H-mart (a local korean market) for 4 whole tilapia, a couple of flounders and as many free chinese newspapers as i could covertly carry under my arm. 320 kids will paint and print the specimens this week, if they survive (the fish that is, not the kids).
thanks to vital information from a creative friend of mine who's done this before, i learned with great relief that the fish stays on the newsprint and the paper is pressed over top. so far, both 4th grade classes have turned out some great prints! plus i, smelling of marine life, asked fellow teachers gathered in the lounge at lunch, "is it legal to have this much fun at school?!"
oh please, please, post the pictures of the results?!!!
ReplyDeleteThese are super cool, Lanette. If you happened to have any extra test prints, I'd be happy to give one a home. :o)
ReplyDeletei was too messy to take pictures, but if any from the teachers/yearbook turn out, i would love to share those with you! the kids absolutely had a blast...and i was happy to throw those 6 poor fish away yesterday. we have 320 amazing prints. gives "dr. seuss' one fish two fish, red fish blue fish" a whole new dimension.
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