Noh

Christoph Ruckhaberle said he was into Noh, and I wondered if I'd ever posted my Noh pictures... HERE they are. This is one of the most memorable performances of my life, total magic.

Ten years ago or so I took a four-day papermaking workshop in Gifu, Japan - we did everything from scratch; pick the mulberry, boil it, grind it. Our teacher - I forget his name, unfortunately - was also a Noh master, and one night gave an impromptu performance as we all sat around the fire.

This was so intense.. his entire body is tensed up. These pictures were taken with a disposable camera, so you are seeing the burst of flash... but this was outdoors in the middle of the country, so dark, only the firelight. The sounds were insects, crackling fire, and his singing...


More pictures from the performance...

I used the washi I made in a lot of my work... some pages in Garden, the soft blanket on James' bed. Here I am in a washi kimono holding Stephan Kohler's washi umbrella. Stephan is the artist who started the Washi Survival School.