Actor Sawamura SōjÅ«rō 2nd AS OISHI KURANOSUKE 

Editor: So, this is Katsukawa Shunko's "Actor Sawamura Sojuro 2nd as Oishi Kuranosuke." I find the flat planes of color and the lines describing the figure fascinating. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: Notice the woodblock printing process. The multiple blocks are not just for colour, but for texture and line. Consider the labor involved, the specific skills of the artisan who created each block, and the social structures that supported this form of production and consumption. Editor: That’s a fascinating point about production. I hadn’t considered that before. Curator: It’s easy to get lost in the image itself, but asking how it was made, and who made it, tells us so much more about its meaning. Editor: Thanks, I'll remember that. Curator: Absolutely. Always ask, "What are the means of production, and what can they tell us?”