“Time must be cherished, it waits for no one” 1300 - 1336

Curator: Here we have a hanging scroll, bearing the calligraphic inscription, "Time must be cherished, it waits for no one," by Jakushitsu Genkō, dating to the early 14th century. Editor: Stark, isn’t it? The dark ink practically leaps off the aged paper, doesn't invite idle lingering. More like a firm, Zen-masterly prod. Curator: Jakushitsu, as a Rinzai Zen master, wielded the brush not just for aesthetic beauty, but to distill profound truths into immediate visual experience. His choice of ink on paper, monochrome and direct, mirrors that clarity. Editor: You see the spiritual depth; I'm immediately drawn to the labor. Imagine the preparation of the ink, grinding it slowly, then the deliberate, singular strokes on such delicate material. A single slip could ruin hours of work, yes? That imbues this 'simple' piece with so much palpable tension. The means of production amplify the message, right? Cherish the moment; cherish the craft. Curator: Absolutely. It's a beautiful example of how materiality serves the spiritual. Jakushitsu wasn't just dashing off a memo; he was enacting mindfulness. The act of writing *becomes* meditation. You can feel that precision in every stroke. Editor: Precision… but also an intentional awkwardness, perhaps even humility? Notice how the characters jostle and lean. A perfect script would seem antithetical to its message. Curator: A fair point! There’s an unpretentious quality. As though to remind us, perfection is a goal, never an arrival point, in artistic creation, as in life itself. He understood that. Editor: So the message itself, while universally relevant, is inextricably tied to material realities: of labor, of resources, of available technologies, and time, in turn reflecting the context that this piece emerged from, I find fascinating. Curator: Thinking about how context affects a work makes me consider what it means for us looking at it today... centuries removed from its genesis, contemplating that relationship between creator and viewer through the artifact itself is somewhat wonderful. Editor: It feels powerful, and honestly makes you want to be more present in everyday creation and experience. A pretty good reminder.