passage chain link fence spitzack woodblock woodcut mokuhanga print printmaking washi seattle art

This print appears to depict a chain link fence as its central compositional element, treating an everyday urban barrier through the meditative attention of mokuhanga. The geometric repetition of diamond mesh translates well to the woodblock medium, where carved registration and overprinting can render the linear precision such a subject demands. Spitzack's choice to print on [washi](/glossary/washi) rather than a Western paper allows the cool tones characteristic of water-based pigments to settle into the long fibers, giving the metalwork a softness absent from the original subject. The word passage in the title suggests the fence as both barrier and frame for what lies beyond, a contemporary [meisho-e](/glossary/meisho-e) of urban liminal space rather than the classical scenic views of Hokusai or Hiroshige. The work reflects the broader American mokuhanga movement's interest in applying centuries-old Japanese technique to overlooked aspects of contemporary North American landscape.