The Great Wave Off Kanagawa

The famous painting and print by Katsushika Hokusai was the source for the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art (NCWCA) members’ six-panel collaborative. The panels, with each artist’s unique rendering, were placed together to create the whole.

(slide 1) Clockwise, from top left: Joan DiStefano, Siana Smith, Renate Woodbury, Rachel Tirosh, Susan Bercu, Laura Abrams.

(slide 2) My interpretation is the endangered sea polluted by human trash and fall-out of wars. Fishermen are not included because they are extinct. I used recycled materials: bubble wrap, plastic & metal toys/objects, rubber gloves, face mask lining, sponges, artificial leaves, tulle, bullet cases.

(slide 3) Hokusai’s initial art was created in 1830. This woodcut (from his painting), one of his "36 Views of Mount Fuji", represents the vulnerability of Japan. Enormous claw like waves threaten to engulf the three fishing boats and the sacred Fuji. Japan emerged after 200 years of self-isolation with Hokusai thrust into the world's limelight with this series that used the new, enticing Prussian blue pigment. His daughter, Katsushika Oi, contributed to his art, working with him until he died at age 91. She was an active force who created her own innovative art in the highly productive workshop.