Kanagawa 1855

Editor: Here we have Utagawa Hiroshige’s “Kanagawa,” created around 1855 using woodblock print. It has a lovely, almost serene feeling, despite depicting so much activity on the water. How would you approach interpreting this piece? Curator: Considering a materialist perspective, let's think about the context of production and consumption of these Ukiyo-e prints. Woodblock printing involved multiple artisans, each responsible for carving blocks, inking, and printing. This division of labor makes us consider the print not as solely Hiroshige's creation, but as a collaborative, almost industrial process. Editor: So, you are focusing less on the individual artist and more on the wider industry involved in creating this image? Curator: Exactly. How the woodblock print method itself, its specific carving techniques, its reliance on available pigments, and the organization of the workshops, influenced the style and aesthetic we see here. Mass-produced Ukiyo-e prints like "Kanagawa" became accessible commodities reflecting and shaping popular culture. What social narratives were these materials telling? Editor: It's fascinating to think about it that way, considering how it became popular through mass production and accessible materials. How does the consumption aspect come into play? Curator: These prints were not precious objects like oil paintings for the elite. People engaged with them in everyday life: hung them, collected them, even used them as packaging! "Kanagawa", with its depiction of bustling maritime life, was circulated within this dynamic system of production, distribution, and use, making the materials themselves participants in a broader network of socio-economic activities. Editor: That's definitely a new perspective for me. I had been primarily looking at the image's aesthetic qualities but understanding how the physical creation and mass appeal play such an important role really puts things into a different light. Curator: Exactly! Understanding the "stuff" of art brings the processes to life.