Night at Sengakuji 1931

Curator: Let’s take a look at “Night at Sengakuji,” a woodblock print by Hasui Kawase, created in 1931. I’m fascinated by Kawase's commitment to *ukiyo-e* traditions in the 20th century, a time when printmaking was undergoing massive shifts. Editor: It’s just… peaceful. The cool blues and greens, that tiny crescent moon… It’s the kind of scene you could get lost in. Almost dreamlike, wouldn't you say? Curator: The material components tell quite the story. Woodblock printing required collaboration between the artist, carver, printer, and publisher. The economic relations are baked right into the object; they governed production. We are not talking about the single genius, but a community of makers. Editor: You’re right, of course. And yet, seeing that figure walking under the umbrella… I feel an intense connection to that person's solitude. A bit lonely, perhaps, but in a beautiful way. Curator: Consider the process though. Kawase and his team deliberately selected papers that could best register the pigment gradations. The surface treatment affected how the work was received and circulated. I believe that the craft shapes content. Editor: Yes, but that subtle light shining through the temple gate draws my attention; it offers a glimmer of hope, or perhaps warmth amidst all the quietness of the piece. Curator: Ultimately, it all intertwines. The specific ways materials were sourced, tools were handled, labor was divided, these production realities all condition the space and possibility of artistic feeling. Editor: Fair enough! "Night at Sengakuji" it seems has room enough for material conditions as well as my emotional flights of fancy. Thanks for putting language around the method behind it! Curator: And thank you for tuning in to the sensory, the emotive aspects that remind us how prints were also, centrally, images, intended for circulation.