Kisokomagadake Ittchōgaike c. 20th century

Curator: I find Susumu Yamaguchi’s woodblock print, "Kisokomagadake Ittchōgaike," immediately striking. The deep blues and stark whites create a rather unsettling mood, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Yes, and look at how the artist uses the wood grain itself. It emphasizes the materiality of the print, almost mimicking the textures of the trees and water. Curator: Absolutely. Yamaguchi was part of the sosaku-hanga movement, where artists controlled the entire printmaking process, investing the work with personal expression. Editor: Which we can definitely see in the labor of the sharp lines and the way the blocks of color come together! Did that artistic control shift the relationship between the artist and the market? Curator: It allowed artists to explore a wider range of social and political themes, distancing themselves from traditional art hierarchies that favored commercial success over personal vision. Editor: I'm particularly drawn to how the deep blues evoke a sense of isolation, perhaps reflecting the artist's perspective on nature and society. Curator: It's definitely an open-ended work, allowing for many interpretations and offering an important snapshot into the artist's socio-historical surroundings. Editor: It’s always a good reminder to explore how the artist’s means of production influence the art itself, even within landscape depictions.