Paul Binnie

Scottish, b. 1967

Red Reverse: Osamu Sleeping

with artist's circular kanji seal at upper left, Bin-ni, followed by square date seal, Heisei kyu nen (Heisei 9 [1997]), numbered, titled and signed in pencil on the bottom margin, 11/30, Red Reverse: Sleeping Osamu, Paul Binnie; blocks cut in 1997, this variant printed 2011

dai oban yoko-e 12 7/8 by 18 3/8 in., 32.8 by 46.7 cm

The blocks for this print were carved with a jigsaw, a technique which allows for quick carving but presents challenges with the actual printing- as all of the blocks need to be inked and printed simultaneously. As a result, Binnie's jigsaw prints were produced in comparatively small editions.

The original version of the composition was produced in 1997. For this variant Binnie literally flipped the jigsaw blocks over. Both sides of the blocks have white outline details on the body carved by freehand with a V-shaped chisel to compliment the white lines from the jigsaw blocks; as such there are slight differences in those details between the two sides of the blocks.

Reference:
Paul Binnie: A Dialogue with the Past - The First 100 Japanese Prints, 2007, p. 95, no. 54 (original variant with blue background)

price: $700