Snowy Night 1925

Editor: So, this is Ito Shinsui’s "Snowy Night," from 1925. It's a woodblock print, and I find the colors muted yet vibrant all at once. What strikes me is the emphasis on the textile patterns, how do you interpret that? Curator: Well, looking at it through a materialist lens, the focus shifts to the very means of its production and the consumption it depicts. Ukiyo-e prints, though often celebrated as fine art now, were produced using multiple blocks, requiring collaboration between artist, block carver, printer, and publisher, and were often more commercial in nature. The emphasis on the textiles is not just aesthetic. Editor: Interesting, could you elaborate? Curator: The intricate patterns showcase the skill involved in textile production and consumption, reflecting the burgeoning consumer culture of the Taisho era. Note the details – the precise registration of color in the print. This speaks to skilled labor and technological development of the period. Where does the 'high' art truly lie; the skill of the artist, the laborer involved, or the patron of art? Editor: So you are suggesting the print is a statement about art and commerce? Curator: I would say, it acknowledges their inseparability. Consider also that these prints, in their time, blurred the boundaries between high art and craft, between the studio and the marketplace. Who benefitted from the original production? Who consumes today? Editor: That is insightful! I never really thought of ukiyo-e prints in terms of labor and material culture, focusing instead on the more romantic notions of beauty, class, or social commentary. Curator: It is all interconnected! By examining the materials, production processes, and consumption patterns associated with this woodblock print, we gain a more comprehensive understanding of its place in the social and economic landscape of its time, challenging assumptions on both art and the processes of art making.