Badger 1800 - 1868

Editor: So, this ink drawing called "Badger" comes from the Hokusai School and was created sometime between 1800 and 1868. I’m struck by how the simple use of ink manages to convey such a playful, almost human-like quality to the badger, especially with his tea set. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This work interests me primarily because of its production. How does the act of drawing with ink on paper become meaningful here? The Hokusai school mass-produced prints. This original drawing has more monetary and cultural value. Is that deserved considering its possible role in a printmaking process? The tools, labor, and distribution systems – these elevate or diminish the artwork. Editor: That’s a very different angle than I expected. So you're saying it’s less about the cute badger, and more about the economic and social context in which the artwork was made? Curator: Exactly. This wasn’t simply the artist’s individual genius at play. The artist relies on materials provided by society, in terms of sourcing of ink or paper and training by other craftspeople. There were likely apprentices involved in preparing the materials and potentially even assisting in the drawing itself. Consider what class of people would want to buy such images of landscapes or animals? Were they commissioned? What were the expectations in the price they could command? What story does its existence tell about consumption habits of this era? Editor: So, you are considering this drawing as a kind of commodity, tied to labor, material availability, and market demands of the Ukiyo-e style. Curator: Precisely. And in looking at these aspects, it really brings into question the whole concept of artistic value as purely aesthetic. Editor: That gives me a lot to consider; I’ll never look at a seemingly simple ink drawing the same way again. Thanks!