In support of the publication of JB Blunk, the first monograph dedicated to the life and work of the artist, Francis Gallery is launching a sale of 10 one-off prints to be sold in tandem with the book, with all proceeds going to the JB Blunk Estate. The prints are exclusive to Francis Gallery, and present a selection of archival images from the monograph. The series is printed on washi paper, in recognition of the artist’s relationship with Japan, where he studied under Bizen ware master Toyo Kaneshige. The delicate, slightly translucent paper serves to enhance the elemental beauty of Blunk’s sculptures.
Blunk was esteemed for his deep connection to the earth and his sensitivity to natural materials, particularly the redwood trees surrounding his home in California, which he carved into monumental, organic forms. He adopted a heuristic approach to all of his work, from his ceramics and paintings to his jewellery and furniture. Blunk’s most enduring masterpiece is perhaps his hand-built house in Inverness, California, which his daughter, Mariah Nielson, describes as ‘a living sculpture’. Compiled by Nielson, the monograph charts the extraordinary scope of the artist’s career, including previously unpublished photographs of his work, and essays by renowned art historians and curators.
The prints are 210 x 297 mm, printed in archival ink on 42 gsm washi paper. Each print comes in a custom, cloth-bound folder, with a letter of authentication from the JB Blunk Estate.
View the monograph and prints here.
Words: Julia Merican
Photos: Rich Stapleton