Stumps

Stumps depicts the cross-sectional forms of felled or weathered tree trunks, rendered through the water-based pigment and woodblock technique of mokuhanga on washi. The subject lends itself to exploration of organic geometry — the concentric growth rings, radiating grain lines, and irregular bark edges that characterize cut timber. Schulenberg likely employs multiple blocks to build layered tonal gradations, with bokashi shading used to model the volumetric surfaces of the stumps and suggest the fibrous texture of exposed wood. The absorbent washi support enhances the diffusion of pigment at edges, softening transitions in a manner distinct from Western relief printing. The listing of Abstract alongside Trees as subjects suggests the composition may extract formal pattern from the natural forms — emphasizing shape and rhythm over literal representation. This approach is consistent with contemporary mokuhanga practice in American academic contexts, where artists trained in the technique often use traditional process to engage with landscape subjects reinterpreted through a non-objective lens.