Basho by Hokusai 

Editor: This is "Basho by Hokusai," an ink drawing. It has such a quiet feel to it. What stands out to you the most in this portrait? Curator: What strikes me is Hokusai’s deliberate rendering of material culture in depicting Basho. Look at the rough texture of the paper itself and the varying pressure used with the brush, these create the lines which suggest both Basho's aged face and the natural elements surrounding him. Consider also the tools Hokusai would have used – the ink, the brush, and paper - and how those influenced the image’s composition. The relationship between the man and his environment seem integral to the labor of this production. Editor: That’s interesting! So it’s less about an idealized image and more about the physical act of creating it with the available materials? Curator: Precisely. Notice how the depiction of Basho seems both deliberate and spontaneous; This emphasizes the immediate experience. Now think about the audience viewing it. Are they considering the value placed on this type of image by Japanese society at the time? Were printed versions of this drawing circulating to larger audiences? The drawing gains greater resonance by considering the cultural and historical background as materials impacting both subject and process. Editor: It sounds like Hokusai wanted to show us not just who Basho was, but the very physical circumstances and society that gave him shape! I learned that what might appear to be simply an individual likeness holds within it a story about process and broader social forces. Curator: Indeed. By recognizing that artistic production does not happen in a vacuum but through material interaction, we can find deeper connections between art, artist, and society.