Explore both the figurative and the abstract through the ancient art of Japanese woodblock printing.
Cross Currents features the works of two contemporary artists who use this centuries-old technique in new ways: Kalamazoo artist Mary Brodbeck and Japanese artist Yoshisuke Funasaka.
This exhibition is a culmination of twenty-five years of cross-cultural exchange and relationship of the two artists after Brodbeck studied woodblock printmaking in Tokyo with Funasaka.
Funasaka works in abstract motifs, layering shapes and colors on top of vertical lines. Brodbeck’s work depicts nature scenes, drawn from the landscapes of Michigan and the Great Lakes. When viewed side-by-side, these two different styles reveal new meanings in the other’s work.
Students will be able to compare recognizable landscapes with abstract shapes and colors to find new insights in both approaches.
In addition to the touring exhibition, teachers will have access to Becoming Made, a short documentary by Brodbeck that further explores the woodblock technique as applied by multiple artists from both the U.S. and Japan.
EFA Presents! Information
New this year! The Cross Currents traveling exhibition is available free-of-charge to K-8 schools and will not count towards using your school’s EFA Presents! Admission Credits. High schools may book the exhibition for a flat fee of $100.
School Tour Details
The traveling exhibition is scheduled in two-week blocks running September 9-June 2. EFA will deliver and install the artwork in schools on 6’x3′ freestanding display panels. The exhibition is on loan from the artists and must be located in a secure room, such as a library or a lockable classroom. EFA will remove the exhibition at the end of the scheduled time.