fake news snakes fire pillars woodblock woodcut Japanese mokuhanga print printmaking washi seattle art fine art printmaker nw printmaking relief prints

A politically charged composition combining serpents, flames, and architectural pillars to construct an allegorical reading of contemporary American discourse. Mokuhanga has historically been associated with landscape and [bijin-ga](/glossary/bijin-ga) rather than with overt political subject matter, making this print one that extends the medium into editorial territory. The technical demands of rendering fire and snakes—linear, energetic forms requiring sharp registration across multiple blocks—test the precision of carving with a hangi-to and the controlled pressure of a [baren](/glossary/baren) during printing. The use of [washi](/glossary/washi) rather than Western paper allows the absorbency required for layered pigment to build saturated reds and oranges. Spitzack's willingness to engage current events through an East Asian printing tradition reflects a broader contemporary mokuhanga turn, where artists working outside Japan use the form to address subjects the historical genre rarely addressed.