Two Girls Gathering New Greens by the Water, with poem by Senri Shunto Edo period,

Editor: Here we have Hokusai's *Two Girls Gathering New Greens by the Water*, a woodblock print. I’m struck by the texture of the paper and the everyday nature of the scene. What can you tell me about the production of this print and how that affects our understanding of it? Curator: Consider the woodblock process itself. It involves a collaborative labor: the artist's design, the carver's skill in translating that design onto wood, and the printer's expertise in inking and pressing. Where do we see the marks of labor in this print? Editor: I see the flat planes of color and simplified forms, which makes me think of the carving process. Are there social implications to the materials used? Curator: Absolutely. The accessibility of woodblock printing, compared to painting, meant images could be widely disseminated. How does this inform the content, like the portrayal of commoners gathering greens? Editor: It democratizes art by depicting everyday life, and making art more accessible. Thanks, I hadn't considered that! Curator: Indeed, materiality and social context are inseparable.