握月擔風 

Editor: So here we have 'Grasp Moon Scoop Wind' by Zenkei Shibayama, an ink and watercolour drawing on paper. I'm struck by how immediate the brushstrokes feel; there’s an almost performative quality to it. What can you tell me about the context of this work? Curator: Considering a materialist approach, it’s crucial to think about the ink, paper, and brushstrokes – the very process of creation. This work appears to challenge the traditional hierarchy placing painting above calligraphy, or ‘high art’ above skilled craft. Editor: How so? Curator: Look at the directness and simplicity of the materials. The ink isn't trying to create illusions or mimic reality. Instead, its quality and the mark-making itself become the focal point. Furthermore, think about who would be consuming this artwork and where? Was it meant for display, contemplation or sale? The materials would influence both the context of creation, labor and its reception by a specific audience. Editor: That’s a very different perspective from what I expected. It focuses on how and why this work came to be more than what it "means". Curator: Exactly. Understanding the limitations and possibilities of ink, watercolours and paper and labor inform the intentionality of the calligrapher, and how a work made with these materials circulates within a network of production and exchange is more important than some abstract notion of beauty or inherent value. Do you think that the meaning is in its production? Editor: Yes! Thinking about the materials shifts my focus from just admiring the aesthetic to appreciating the labor and the intentional choice of those materials. Thanks! Curator: Likewise, your initial reaction led me to rethink some of my own preconceptions about reception of materials!