Waking 1932

Curator: Well, this piece immediately whispers "longing" to me. What do you think? Editor: That's fascinating. Today we're looking at "Waking", a woodblock print created around 1932 by Torii Kotondo. Kotondo was an artist working in the Shin-Hanga or “New Prints” movement that revitalized traditional Ukiyo-e techniques. He sought to capture fleeting moments with poignant emotional depth. Curator: You know, it's so delicate! The floral patterns on her kimono, rendered in these gentle blues... they almost feel like a sigh. And her posture! Her hand just barely supporting her head. There's a vulnerability here that just punches me in the gut, and invites such tenderness. I wonder about the historical context in terms of Japanese society then: are there elements we can pinpoint, read, contextualize to explain why her figure, her expression, are rendered this way? What norms, and forms of power and resistance, do they challenge or negotiate? Editor: Excellent questions! "Waking," despite its deceptively simple composition, speaks volumes about the changing role of women in Japan during the early Showa period. These New Print artists aimed to present female subjects in both traditional roles as well as emblems of modern lifestyles and agency. It can be posited that she’s caught between worlds—traditional garb, contemplative mood, yet with an independent air and sophistication that defied convention at the time. Curator: Yes! And there's this quality to the line work as well… deliberate but fluid, confident in its curves but with intentional fragility, which amplifies her pensive energy. I'm especially drawn to her gaze: Downcast, averted... lost in a world of private thoughts that feels intrinsically, specifically female. Editor: Exactly! The intimate scale, which lends to such feeling of close engagement... all qualities serve that effect. To further this effect of "mood," notice also how the artist makes us linger, both in the smooth planes of her face and skin and also by adding textures through subtle gradations of the woodblock. In this we see not just skillful artistry at the technical level but also something about cultural values of grace, beauty and introspection. Curator: This conversation definitely enriched my understanding of what’s on display here today. I leave with deeper feelings of respect toward, and perhaps, even solidarity with the emotional underpinnings the artwork conveys. Editor: Likewise. "Waking" encourages viewers like us, no matter our backgrounds, to see these nuances within individuals who are often stereotyped, or whose internal lives, like those of so many women everywhere and across time, go unseen and unspoken.