Bamboo -- Illustration from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting (Shizhuzhai shuhua pu) before 1703

Curator: This illustration, entitled "Bamboo," comes from the Ten Bamboo Studio Manual of Calligraphy and Painting, created by Hu Zhengyan, around the late Ming Dynasty. Editor: It feels so sparse and alive at the same time, like a gust of wind just passed through the studio. Did they really use ten bamboos to make this? Curator: The "Ten Bamboo Studio" was the name of Hu Zhengyan’s workshop, known for its innovative color printing techniques. The manual was designed to teach artists and craftsmen. Editor: So it’s a how-to guide, almost? I love that it elevates craft to art, breaks down the preciousness. You can practically smell the ink and paper. Curator: Exactly. It's about the means of production, the transmission of knowledge, the democratization of artmaking... Editor: Makes you wonder what contemporary manual we'd create. I’m definitely including a chapter on memes in mine. Curator: That seems fitting! This print really encapsulates how deeply materials and process are tied to artistic expression and social life. Editor: Yes, and now I am picturing the whole studio filled with bamboo, paper and ink. I feel strangely at peace.