Nangaku-Bunpō Highway Pictures (Nangaku Bunpō kaidō sōga 南岳文鳳街道雙畫) 1806 - 1816

Kawamura Bunpō made this woodblock print sometime in the early 19th century. The print, made with carved blocks of wood and water-based inks, depicts a man leading packhorses along a road. The image is so dependent on line, you might even say that line is the material here. Consider the work involved in producing the print. Each line had to be painstakingly carved into the woodblock by a highly skilled artisan, a subtractive process. The same artisan would have to have extensive knowledge of the properties of wood, as certain grains or densities would be easier to work with than others. The print hints at a connection between labor, transport and the local economy. It speaks to the labor and the reliance on animal power involved in the transport of goods. With its muted color scheme, the print invites us to consider the often-unseen processes of production and circulation that underpin our material world. It emphasizes that art and craft are entwined with broader social and economic systems.