New to our Gallery at Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island!
Jody Rankin and his father-in-law, Ed Morris work together in their South Carolina Lowcountry studio. Brought together by their passion for fishing, marine conservation and family, Jody and Ed use the ancient Gyotaku method to convey their love of the great big blue.
Gyotaku (pronounced ghio-TA-koo), is a traditional art form that originated in Japan during the mid 1800’s. The art form itself evolved as a record keeping process, as it allowed fisherman to use an adaption of nature printing to record their catches. Traditionally, sumi ink would be applied to the fish as a canvas and paper made from the inner layers of a rice plant were applied to the canvas. The rubbing process would cause the features of the catch to transfer to the paper bringing out the natural beauty and features of the fish.
The ideal rubbing would resemble the appearance of the original catch with as much detail as possible. Gyotaku paintings vary as much as the artist as the art form adds rich colors and environmental details. The process used by both artists is known as the direct method, which is considered more traditional. Variation between artist pieces occurs in the species each artist works with as well as the way each species is portrayed.
Live caught fish are used to create beautiful rubbings as well as a source of food. The non-toxic paint used in the rubbings allows the catch to be recorded, cleaned and than used as a food source afterwards to create a great memory and a great meal. Baitfish species are used in the Gyotaku paintings and then later used as actual bait.
For species that would not normally be eaten or that are protected, hand-made replicas are carved of the species, and then, the same Gyotaku process is applied. They use many types of media ranging from traditional canvas to more elaborate media such as bamboo, tree bark and plant fibers. Each piece is framed using reclaimed barn wood which adds a very coastal look and feel to the finished piece. It is their hope that each original piece inspires others to appreciate the great wonders of our oceans.