Risaburo Kimura

Recto below image in graphite: l.l.: 244/300; in blue c.: Letter from New York; l.r. Risaburo Kimura. Printed text (in Japanese) on opposite page: Kimura Risaburo “New York kara no tegami (Letter from New York)” Etching/Risaburo Kimura had his start as a copperplate engraver in the 1950s. After moving to New York,/ he switched to silkscreen and printed his own works. He worked mostly large scale and made splendid work with the theme of New York./ As his silkscreen work became more important, he began to include copperplate techniques/ with his silkscreening. This work is an interesting etching that represents the results of all of his recent methods./ The English near the top reads, “A special card for a championgirl …..watcher/ now yor can keep watching while you read your card”/ The meaning behind these words is Risaburo Kimura received a card from one of his female friends in America which read “You are a/ watcher of girls. However, the you who is observing girls is the one actually being/ observed” and decided to use this as inspiration for his own quote. The red shape/ with the R represents a wax seal and the R is from Risaburo’s initials./ A wax seal is a wax material which after melting, one can press a design into before it/ hardens to form a bond that is difficult to separate without noticeable tampering./ Etching is new, modern, and does not have the frailness of typical Japanese art; it is dry and is charming.