Dragons Growl c. mid 18th century

Curator: "Dragons Growl," created circa mid-18th century, an ink on paper hanging scroll by Ryū Kōbi, currently residing at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. What's your take on it? Editor: Whoa! It’s like a thunderclap put to paper. The sheer force of those characters. There's an almost visceral energy emanating from the work. Curator: Indeed, there's a powerful connection to the physicality of brushstrokes here. The artist employed various ink densities and line widths to animate these symbols, which are really active social agents. Note, too, that this kind of display scroll was designed to be recontextualized according to various owners’ interior spaces and display intentions. Editor: Definitely feels raw. I get this immediate sense of the artist's hand and spirit being inseparable from the materials themselves. It isn't so much about meticulous control as it is about surrender and letting the ink dance on the paper. Almost looks a bit reckless, but that gives it life. Curator: These qualities underscore the work’s embodiment of Japanese calligraphy, placing equal emphasis on artistry and text. Consider the paper as a product of labor itself; the grinding and mixing of ink, the choice of brush. What statement does this combination make about production values during this era? Editor: Makes me think about all that labor that went into what seems a very swift gesture. Like jazz. Improvisational and free-seeming, but born out of serious work. Almost paradoxical in how it conceals its processes to amplify presence. Curator: Precisely, and in its various uses—contemplative or even instructional—this work blurs high and low distinctions in art, drawing our attention to the modes of its manufacture. And it still “growls,” so to speak, after all these years. Editor: Yeah, after digging around in its historical soil, its presence just comes roaring back. You see the soul of the dragon *and* all the hands that gave it voice. Pretty stunning.