Geïllustreerd verslag van een reis naar het westen 1803

Editor: This is "Geïllustreerd verslag van een reis naar het westen", a work from 1803 by Shiba Kōkan, that seems to incorporate collage, print, textiles, paper and watercolors. It presents as an aged book. Its materiality really strikes me - you can see the wear and tear of time on the cover. What do you notice about the materials and the process in creating this artwork? Curator: I'm fascinated by how Kōkan is actively engaging with material culture and production processes of his time. This work really challenges the boundaries between 'high art' painting and something more utilitarian like bookbinding and textile work. The fact he's combining printing with watercolor illustrations and collage is a direct reflection of the expanding availability and consumption of printed materials at the time. It begs the question, where does the craft end and art begin? Editor: That’s a really interesting point. So, by combining all these different media, Kōkan is almost making a comment about production and the different tiers of art and craft? Curator: Precisely. It makes me consider what the availability of those materials was for Kōkan. Was it easy to access or create the different paints or the type of paper, or textile? This accessibility impacts how an artist chooses and works with his chosen material and, as such, how the art piece develops. Editor: I had never thought of it in that way before. Thanks! Now I look at the work in an entirely different way, noting the implications behind the accessibility of resources and reflecting the means of artistic production available during that period. Curator: And that consideration brings the viewers closer to the real world and process of Shiba Kōkan.