Object Type: Prints

Creation Place: Europe, SCOTLAND

Medium and Support: woodblock print on paper

Credit Line: Carleton College Art Collection

Accession Number: 2008.023

Yoshitoshi’s Ghosts, depicting a seated, tattooed nude, pays homage to works by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), the celebrated master of Japanese woodblock printmaking famous for his melodramatic and often violent images. This image contains multiple direct references to works by Yoshitoshi: the tattoo on the subject’s back violently reworks Midnight Moon on Mt. Yoshino (1885-1892) from the One Hundred Moons series; the demonic figure on his thigh appears in the first print in the 1889 series 36 Ghosts; and the ghost rising out of the censer at the lower left is a reverse image of Yoshitoshi’s print of The Yugao chapter from "The Tale of Genji" (1885-1892). The title cartouche in the upper right corner replicates Yoshitoshi’s distinctive signature and is further ornamented with a reference to yet another Yoshitoshi print. The tormented posture of the sitter and the swirling sujizuri background contribute to the overall spookiness of the print. This print, like others in the series, was also released in an ‘untattooed’ state, highlighting the slightly eroticized figure.

Paul Binnie was born in Scotland in 1967 and studied art history and painting at Edinburgh University and the Edinburgh School of Art. In 1993 he traveled to Japan to study traditional Japanese woodblock carving. While living in Tokyo, he found work at the National Kabuki Theater; there he became fascinated by the hidden world of kabuki. His first recognition as an artist came from the powerful paintings of actors and theatrical scenes he produced during this period. He returned to the UK in 1998 and now lives and works in Wimbledon, England.