Poetry 1790

Editor: So this is "Poetry," a print and drawing in ink on paper by Kitagawa Utamaro, made around 1790. The script seems almost to dance across the page. How should we look at this, really look at this piece? Curator: Focus first on the interplay of positive and negative space. Notice the deliberate arrangement of the calligraphic lines; they create a dynamic rhythm, guiding the eye through the composition. Consider how the varying thickness and density of the ink contribute to the overall texture and balance. Editor: You’re talking about how it’s put together, the actual making of it? Curator: Precisely. Disregard any attempt to decipher the text itself, at least for the moment. Concentrate instead on the purely formal qualities: the calligraphic strokes as abstract marks, the contrast between the saturated black ink and the delicate off-white paper, and the geometric frame that both contains and emphasizes the energy within. Are you sensing an intended harmony, a designed aesthetic? Editor: I think so, now that you point it out. There’s definitely a… a visual rhythm, a pulse to it. Like music. Is that deliberate? Curator: Absolutely. The arrangement and form is critical. Do you find that focusing on those elements brings you to a richer appreciation, free of other constraints or interests? Editor: It does change things. Looking at the image as form over text changes it, makes it more of an exercise in seeing how elements relate. Thank you. Curator: A close look always reveals more than the surface.