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06/15/06 |
History of Gyotaku:
“gyo” = fish - “taku” = impression
Gyotaku originated about 100 years ago in Japan as a way for sports fisherman to
record the exact size and species of fish they had caught. The fisherman could
hire an artist to make a print of the fish using colored inks or paints. The
inks and paints used were water based, and more importantly nontoxic so that the
fish could be washed off and then eaten. Today, sports fisherman often display
gyotaku as decorations in their homes, or they keep them as a sort of journal to
document their success in the sport. Many Japanese fishing magazines hold
contests each year for the largest fish caught for each species. The winners of
these competitions are chosen by the gyotaku submitted.
In 1950's the Association of Gyotaku was formed in Japan, and the first
exhibition was held at the Matsuya Gallery in Ginzas Tokyo. The first gyotaku
exhibition held outside of Japan took place in 1956 at the American Museum of
Natural History in New York. Recently gyotaku has become popular in the United
States. Along the docks in San Francisco, and also in other parts of the
country, artists wait for the sports fisherman boats to bring their catch back
from the ocean. Many fishers on the boats choose to have prints made of their
fish, rather than having it stuffed and mounted by a taxidermist.
Links to Florida Gyotaku