John Edgar Platt (1886 − 1967)

John Platt was born in Leek, Staffordshire; he studied at the Royal College of Art, London and later held various teaching posts in arts schools in the UK, becoming Principal of Leicester School of Art and later Principal at the Blackheath Art School in London. He was for many years President of the Society of Graver-Printmakers in Colour and was commissioned an official war artist in the Second World War. He was a firm advocate of the Japanese method of woodcut printmaking, as laid out in his book Colour Woodcuts published in 1938. The use of the key block gradually diminished until the 1930s when prints were made without it. He was considered one of the best colour print artists of his generation.

Out of the Wood British Woodcuts and Wood Engravings 1890-1945, The British Council 1991

Glossary

  • Woodcut

    A relief print made by printing from the top surface of a plank of wood into which a design has been cut with gouges or knives. The cuts (which show up white in the print) are usually quite bold because of the texture and grain of the plank, whether hard or soft wood. This term is broadly used to cover any print from a wooden block.

Past exhibitions

OUT OF THE WOOD

  • 1998
    • Slovakia, Kosice, State Gallery
    • Poland, Warsaw, National Museum
  • 1996
    • Philippines, Manila, Metropolitan Museum
    • Japan, Kawaguchiko Museum
    • Japan, Hokkaido, Obihiro Museum
  • 1995
    • Japan, Koriyama, Koriyama City Museum
    • Japan, Kanagawa, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum
    • Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, National Art Gallery
  • 1994
    • India, Calcutta, Centre Of International Modern Art
    • India, Santiniketan, Kala Bhavana Visva Bharati
    • India, Bhopal, Bharat Bhawan
    • India, Jaipur, Jawahar Kala Kendra
    • India, Chandigarh, The Government Museum And Art Gallery
    • Bangladesh, Delhi, Bengal Art Lounge
    • Sri Lanka, Colombo, British Council Office - Colombo
    • Sri Lanka, Kanda, British Council Office - Kanda
  • 1993
    • Australia, Newcastle, Newcastle Region Art Gallery
  • 1992
    • Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, National Gallery Of Zimbabwe In Bulawayo
    • Zimbabwe, Harare, National Gallery Of Zimbabwe
    • Kenya, Kisumu, British Council Office - Kisumu
    • Kenya, Mombassa, British Council Office - Mombassa
    • Kenya, Nairobi, British Council Office - Nairobi
    • Zambia, Lusaka, MPAPA Gallery

CONTEMPORARY BRITISH PRINTS AND DRAWINGS FROM THE WAKEFIELD COLLECTION

  • 1950
    • Fiji, Suva, Fiji Arts Club
  • 1949
    • New Zealand, Hamilton, Waikato Museum Of Art & History
    • New Zealand, Rotorua, Society Of Arts
  • 1948
    • New Zealand, Auckland, Aukland City Art Gallery
    • New Zealand, Wellington, National Art Gallery
    • New Zealand, Napier, Napier
    • New Zealand, Wanganni
    • Australia, Brisbane, Queensland Art Gallery
    • Australia, Art Gallery Of New South Wales
  • 1947
    • Australia, Hobart, Hobart
    • Australia, Melbourne, Melbourne Royal Exhibition Building
    • Australia, Adelaide, Art Gallery Of South Australia
    • Australia, Perth, Art Gallery Of Western Australia
    • UK, London, Victoria And Albert Museum

NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR

  • 1940
    • USA, Chicago, Arts Club Of Chicago
    • USA, Boston, Museum Of Fine Arts
    • USA, Toledo, Toledo Museum Of Art
    • Canada, Art Association Of Montreal
    • Canada, Art Gallery of Toronto
  • 1939
    • Canada, National Gallery Of Canada
    • USA, New York, British Pavilion World's Fair

CONTEMPORARY BRITISH ART AND ENGRAVINGS

  • 1939
    • Sweden, Stockholm, Liljevalchs Konsthall
    • Finland, Konsthalle
    • Poland, Warsaw, Instytut Propagandy Sztuki
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