Landscape in Izumo 1934

Curator: We're now looking at "Landscape in Izumo," a 1934 woodblock print by Unichi Hiratsuka. The composition is striking. Editor: It’s almost jarringly bright. That yellow… it almost vibrates. And those simplified shapes! There’s a beautiful bluntness to it. I feel like I’m squinting at a midday sun, even indoors. Curator: Precisely! Hiratsuka’s involvement in the sosaku-hanga movement meant he controlled every step of the printmaking process—from sketching to carving and printing. Consider how that informs the final image; how each choice reflects the artist's hand. Editor: Knowing that the artist handled every step gives it this almost tangible energy. The carving feels very deliberate, each line a commitment. Does knowing its part of ukiyo-e make that landscape a...stage somehow? Curator: The influence is clear, and interestingly, despite embracing modernism, there is still this dedication to portraying landscapes that echo traditional Japanese prints. There's a blending of old and new happening. The simplified geometric forms also create a flattening effect, nodding towards modern aesthetics. The stark contrasts highlight the labor inherent in woodblock printing. Editor: It makes me think of a memory rather than a scene. Fragments floating in that sun-drenched haze. Look at the foreground too - these are not detailed logs; they are slabs of color arranged in linear formations. The whole thing feels incredibly honest in its abstraction. Curator: The blocks themselves become protagonists in this narrative; no attempt is made to hide the marks of production, really emphasizing materiality and process. It celebrates, perhaps, industrial methods of making art more accessible. Editor: Absolutely. You almost get a sense of the artist leaning over the block, wrestling with it, not trying to replicate a scene exactly, but to distill an emotion into shapes and textures. Curator: And that dialogue between material and artistry gives "Landscape in Izumo" a quiet, powerful voice. Editor: Indeed. A memory shimmering in ink and sunlight, reminding us that even the simplest forms can hold immense feeling.