Botanical study of Anthurium andraeanum, the flamingo flower, named after the Belgian botanist Édouard André. The subject—a tropical aroid with a glossy red spathe and protruding yellow spadix—belongs neither to the traditional Japanese [kacho-e](/glossary/kacho-e) canon, which favored native flora like plum, iris, and chrysanthemum, nor to conventional American botanical illustration. The flower's distinctive form, with its waxy heart-shaped spathe and finger-like spadix, lends itself to mokuhanga's capacity for crisp, flat color planes and clean outline. Water-based pigments applied with a [baren](/glossary/baren) on [washi](/glossary/washi) produce the saturated, slightly absorbed reds typical of contemporary mokuhanga floral subjects, with [bokashi](/glossary/bokashi) available for any tonal transition across the spathe. The print extends Spitzack's broader floral output and represents the contemporary mokuhanga movement's expansion of subject matter beyond the established kacho-e repertoire. By choosing a tropical species, Spitzack treats mokuhanga as a flexible visual language adaptable to whatever flora interests the artist rather than bound to its historical subject canon.
Mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock)
Anthurium andraeanum penis plant flower woodcut print by artist charles spitzack woodblock and mokuhanga printmaker Japanese wood block print printmaking washi seattle fine art nw relief prints color contemporary artist pnw seattle print arts was created by Charles Spitzack.
Anthurium andraeanum penis plant flower woodcut print by artist charles spitzack woodblock and mokuhanga printmaker Japanese wood block print printmaking washi seattle fine art nw relief prints color contemporary artist pnw seattle print arts depicts birds & flowers.
