A Toronto-based artist and ink-maker traces the history of ink and its impact on the world, in Brian D. Johnson’s lush and visually striking film shot by celebrated cinematographer Nicholas de Pencier.
The Colour of Ink
Brian D. Johnson
Brian D. Johnson’s visually striking The Colour of Ink follows Jason Logan, who creates unique inks for some of the world’s most celebrated artists by using highly unconventional materials, many of which he finds while foraging in locations ranging from the landfill beaches of Toronto’s Leslie Street Spit to the Mojave Desert. Among the more unusual materials he employs are weeds, rocks, and even rust. Logan’s fans range from the legendary Robert Crumb to New Yorker cartoonist Liana Finck and Japanese artist Koji Kakinuma.
The film also traces the history of ink, first discovered, almost simultaneously, in Egypt and China. According to Logan though, it was perfected in Japan. Johnson also recounts the sometimes extraordinary efforts and dedication people have brought to creating ink and utilizing it. In one particularly eye-opening example, Logan relates how they would crush 10,000 snails to decorate one toga. Aided by revered cinematographer Nicholas de Pencier, Johnson also explores the radically different colours and textures in one batch of ink, which can vary wildly depending on how deep you dip into an ink well. The tactile and sensuous aspects of art and ink itself are magnificently on display throughout the film.
But the film also works as a kind of elegy for an endangered craft and the art forms that depend on it — and the unexpected impacts it may have on our collective psyche. As we move towards fully digital forms of communication and paper and ink are less frequently used, Johnson and his subjects, including Margaret Atwood, worry about the impact on thought and especially memory. (Atwood points out that writing something down remains the best means of remembering it.) Logan argues that the digital world is a monument to short-term memory, and this shift affects how we engage with the world, reducing our involvement almost exclusively to the two dimensional. The Colour of Ink is a visually lush tribute to a practice and art which has had an enormous impact on our history and our collective psyche.
Mtaalamu wa Toronto na mtengenezaji wa wino anafuatilia historia ya wino na athari zake kwa ulimwengu, katika filamu ya Brian D. Johnson ya kupendeza na ya kuvutia ya kuona iliyopigwa na mpiga picha maarufu Nicholas de Pencier. The Colour of Ink ni kitabu cha Brian D. Johnson, ambacho kinamfuata Jason Logan, ambaye hutengeneza wino wa kipekee kwa baadhi ya wasanii mashuhuri duniani kwa kutumia vifaa visivyo vya kawaida, ambavyo vingi anapata wakati akitafuta chakula katika maeneo mbalimbali kuanzia pwani za Toronto hadi Jangwa la Mojave. Miongoni mwa vifaa visivyo vya kawaida anavyotumia ni magugu, mawe, na hata kutu. mashabiki Logan mbalimbali kutoka hadithi Robert Crumb kwa New Yorker cartoonist Liana Finck na Kijapani msanii Koji Kakinuma. Filamu hiyo pia inaonyesha historia ya wino, uliogunduliwa kwa mara ya kwanza, karibu wakati uleule, huko Misri na China. Hata hivyo, kulingana na Logan, iliboreshwa huko Japani. Johnson pia anasimulia jitihada na kujitolea kwa watu ambao wakati mwingine ni wa ajabu katika kutengeneza wino na kuutumia. "Lakini, katika mfano mmoja wa kuvutia sana, Logan anasimulia jinsi walivyochoma konokono 10,000 ili kupamba toga moja.""" Akisaidiwa na mwandishi wa filamu Nicholas de Pencier, Johnson pia anachunguza rangi na muundo tofauti kabisa katika kundi moja la wino, ambao unaweza kutofautiana sana kulingana na jinsi ya kina unavyoingia ndani ya wino vizuri. Sehemu za kugusa na zenye hisia za sanaa na wino yenyewe zinaonyeshwa kwa uzuri katika filamu nzima. Lakini filamu pia inafanya kazi kama aina ya elegia kwa ufundi ulioko hatarini na aina za sanaa ambazo zinategemea <unk> na athari zisizotarajiwa ambazo zinaweza kuwa na juu ya psyche yetu ya pamoja. """Kama tunavyoelekea kwa njia za dijiti za mawasiliano na karatasi na wino hutumiwa mara chache, Johnson na wanafunzi wake, ikiwa ni pamoja na Margaret Atwood, wana wasiwasi juu ya athari kwa mawazo na hasa kumbukumbu." (Atwood aonyesha kwamba kuandika jambo fulani bado ndiyo njia bora ya kukumbuka.) "Logan anasema ""Dunia ya dijiti ni ukumbusho wa kumbukumbu ya muda mfupi, na mabadiliko haya yanaathiri jinsi tunavyojihusisha na ulimwengu, ikipunguza ushiriki wetu karibu tu kwa vipimo viwili.""" Rangi ya Wino ni heshima ya kuona kwa mazoezi na sanaa ambayo imekuwa na athari kubwa kwa historia yetu na psyche yetu ya pamoja.