One Hundred Newly Selected Designs by Kōrin (Kōrin shinsen hyakuzu) 1864

Curator: Looking at this open book, its delicate lines feel so serene. Editor: Serene but also enigmatic. The contrast between the abstracted foliage and the figure evokes a range of emotions, doesn't it? Is this an artwork speaking to broader themes? Curator: It certainly does. This is "One Hundred Newly Selected Designs by Korin", created in 1864 by Ogata Korin, although these designs are after him and demonstrate the proliferation of his style. Editor: So, we are seeing the dissemination of an artistic philosophy rather than the originator? I’m wondering, what statements are embedded within this specific aesthetic choice during this time period? What’s the social undercurrent? Curator: Considering its place within ukiyo-e traditions and book culture of the time, these types of design books facilitated the transmission of artistic ideas beyond the elite circles. Korin-style imagery found its way into wider visual culture. Editor: That resonates with the imagery itself—the book depicts designs, suggesting replicability. Was this democratization also extending to who could create art? Who could interpret it? Curator: These designs could then be taken up and re-interpreted in everything from textiles to ceramics. Editor: It becomes a visual language, a common cultural currency. You see the natural forms on the left—sparse, almost skeletal. Curator: Then on the other side, we have this figure...perhaps a laborer depicted with such simple ink on paper, seemingly weighed down by a burden. There is certainly commentary around social class at play. Editor: The stark contrast almost feels like a provocation. What stories do these minimalist figures tell about work and its value? It makes you reflect on these power dynamics embedded even within seemingly decorative patterns. Curator: Precisely. And that tension, that invitation to reflect, is exactly where I find its power still resonates today. Editor: I'm struck by how much we’ve extrapolated from so little! And how much a deeper understanding of cultural context enriches one’s personal interpretation. Curator: Agreed. There's a universe of context around design that bears further study.