Tabaimo “Ghost Running”
I visited Tabaimo’s print exhibition “Ghost Running.” The venue is Kido Press, on the second floor of Arts Chiyoda 3331.
“In printmaking terminology, running another print with the ink left over after the main print is apparently called ‘taking a ghost.’
The phrase evoked an image of some fantastical act — as if catching something invisible — being carried out in a small studio.
The ghost reveals images that the main print did not.
The images the ghost offered are then carved back into the copper plate.
When those images and the ghost overlap, I felt as though I had made visible a phenomenon that had not been seen before. (Tabaimo)”
The works on view are prints, but every single one is a unique piece (one-of-a-kind).
As the statement above suggests, ink is applied only once. The exhibition featured works printed with the same plate up to three times — the second and third impressions being what she calls “ghosts.”
In the works below, you can see how the printed color changes from the first to the second to the third impression, moving from left to right.
The tonal shift is unmistakable. Each is titled individually and offered for sale as a unique piece.
The areas depicting the human body are coated with gel medium, or given a glossy finish with animal glue and other treatments — encountering these textures in person sends a shiver down your spine.
《Ghost-Running 14》Mixed media, 850mm×600mm, 2019
The motifs depict parts of the body as if embedded within cubes.
Signature Tabaimo works, brimming with energy. They were truly wonderful.
Note: a second exhibition, gathering works that could not be shown in this one, was also held.
Please see the link below for details.
