Pictures of the Floating World @ NGV International

Quite liked this. There's a real combination of vividness and subtlety to these woodblock prints, and the colours are really gorgeous, especially the blues (that latter being a funny way to respond to an exhibition, but it was a strong impression). I also liked the way in which some very fine detailing work often appeared in pieces whose outer edges were rendered in simple outline sketches - suggestive of that idea of the 'floating world'. My favourites were the landscapes (including the examples from the famous 'Views of Mt Fuji' series), probably because they were the ones which best embodied that basic interplay of boldness and delicacy, but it was interesting to learn about the celebrity culture of 17th-19th century Tokyo (Edo), in relation to both kabuki actors and courtesans - one cabinet housed a book of renditions of particular kabuki actors which had been collected swap-card style - even though I wasn't as drawn to the portrait-style prints.