Kuwana 

Editor: This woodblock print is called *Kuwana*, by Katsushika Hokusai. The scene shows people clustered around what looks like a thatched-roof building. It feels…rustic, I guess? So many earthy tones. What strikes you about this print? Curator: I see the division of labor on display, quite literally. Observe how Hokusai presents this roadside scene. We see people meticulously involved in the making, the sorting, and likely, the selling of goods right beside the structures integral to that production. Note the arrangement: figures interacting intimately with raw materials like straw and reeds. Editor: So you’re focusing on the actual work being done, the processes? Curator: Precisely. Think about the materiality here, the woodblock itself. Every line, every shade, results from laborious carving, inking, and printing processes. The final print isn't just a picture; it’s evidence of multiple layers of physical work. Who do you think were the people doing that work and who was purchasing these images? Editor: Presumably artisans, craftspeople… everyday folks, maybe merchants. As for the buyers, well, anyone interested in affordable art? I suppose the accessibility of the medium broadens the potential market, and that's interesting. Curator: Indeed! This isn't high art destined for a palace. It's an object reflecting, and participating in, the circulation of goods and labor within a society. Think about it—a beautiful, mass-producible object connecting rural scenes with urban consumers. Editor: That perspective changes everything! I was stuck on the "pretty landscape" idea, but now I see how much it’s embedded in economics. Curator: Precisely. By attending to process and production, we unlock the deeper cultural narrative within Hokusai's work.