Cabbage 1980

Editor: This is Daido Moriyama's "Cabbage," a black and white photograph. I find the close-up and contrast so striking, it almost feels like a landscape. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on societal structures. Moriyama often used high contrast to reveal the stark realities of postwar Japan. Here, the cabbage, an ordinary food, becomes a symbol. Editor: A symbol of what exactly? Curator: Perhaps of resilience, growth even in harsh environments, but also of the overlooked and undervalued. Consider the social context of food scarcity and class disparities. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about, I never would have made that connection! Curator: It's about seeing beyond the surface, questioning the narratives we inherit.