Hamonshū

This book was published in 1903 as a resource guide for water designs that could be used by craftsmen. The artist, Mori Yuzan, worked in the Nihonga style, which emphasized the beauty of traditional Japanese aesthetics during a period of infatuation with the west. I am infatuated with Hamonshū! I’ve shot thousands of photographs of waves along the Pacific coast over the past few years – 2485 on one day alone for Pacific Falls – and then poured over them for hours, weaving water together. I’m amazed by the accuracy in these stylized drawings of specific water formations. I would love to revisit this book, maybe recreate it in a new form. I think I shall…

There are three volumes, all published by the Smithsonian Libraries via the Internet Archive. Free libraries: the best use of the internet!  Thank you for publishing this, Smithsonian!!!!