Provoke / Daido Moriyama

[hudson]

Anyone else here interested in Japanese photography from the 70's?

 

[4season]

I made it to the Provoke Era exhibit in Sacramento last year, enjoyed it lots (lack of associated merchandise notwithstanding) and was tickled to see Moriyama's trademark stray dog, of course. But the photographer whose works really blew me away was Masahisa Fukase and his strobe-lit ravens.

 

[Hilo]

That is like asking are you interested in the air you are breathing in.

For me, by far the most interesting place - period - photographers - books. Because there are so many photographers, with many, many great books. Not just the direct Provoke group, but also others like Miyako Ishiuchi (her first three books), Araki (Sentimental Journey), Kiyoshi Suzuki, Fukase, Kawada.

Leaving documentary photography they re-defined the medium in an absolute emotional way, rather than a conceptional way. The difference between Japan and other countries is that in the US and Europe there were just a few in each country, or none, who touched photography in this way, and also just a few who published truly great books in this way.

It took a long time for the western photography world to "see" it. But now that's in the past. Now the western publishers are trying to catch up, by publishing new books by these Japanese photographers. Moriyama published three books in 1972, of which two are absolute master pieces: -Goodbye Photography- and -Hunter-. None of his many books published in recent years in the west come anywhere near these two titles.

 

[David Allen]

I first truly woke up to Japanese photography as a result of visiting the Black Sun: The Eyes of Four at the Serpentine Gallery in London (1986??) which presented the work of Eikoh Hosoe, Shomei Tomatsu, Masahisa Fukase and Daido Moriyama. It was an important time for me and I still have the book that accompanied the exhibition.

In general, I have found that with most Japanese photographers, I find relatively few images really great but it is more about the total body of work and this is probably why that generation were more interested in making books than individual prints for exhibition.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

 

[darkosaric]

Very much . I have this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Photobooks-1960s-Ivan-Vartanian/dp/1597110949

It is a very good guide for what you are looking for .

 

[darkosaric]

In general, I have found that with most Japanese photographers, I find relatively few images really great but it is more about the total body of work and this is probably why that generation were more interested in making books than individual prints for exhibition.

That was exactly my feeling as well. One can put picture of Salgado of Bresson on the wall in living room, but for Daido or Araki - it is the book (complete body of work) that I want to have.

 

[blockend]

I became aware of Japanese photography after seeing Eikoh Hosoe in a Creative Camera year book in the mid-1970s, and have followed it with interest since then. Moriyama is one of the greats, not only as a photographer but as a printer of his own work. It's reputed that a professional printer could not emulate Moriyama's style. He's probably done more to put "amateur" compact cameras on the cultural map as a serious creative tool than any other photographer.

 

[David Allen]

I became aware of Japanese photography after seeing Eikoh Hosoe in a Creative Camera year book in the mid-1970s, and have followed it with interest since then. Moriyama is one of the greats, not only as a photographer but as a printer of his own work. It's reputed that a professional printer could not emulate Moriyama's style. He's probably done more to put "amateur" compact cameras on the cultural map as a serious creative tool than any other photographer.

Do you know the work of Anders Peteresen:

Dead Link Removed

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

 

[hudson]

For me, I always loved Araki and then discovered Daido Moriyama and little by little he became my main photographer hero. In order to see Shashin yo Sayonara (Goodbye Photography) the first time I had to go to the research library in New York City and sit in the art reading room, which is a beautiful place. It had a profound emotional impact on me.

I agree, individually most of the images are not great...it was the cumulative effect of the photobook...just a blur of experience in the modern world. That, plus the images which were close ups of a photo and looked like abstract paintings. I went home and tried to get this effect and just could not with a digital image. Only now, with film, do I see this beautiful grain that you can work with in this way.

Moriyama, I read, was a druggie at this point. And the photographers in Japan at that time were like rock stars. So I guess he burnt out and never again reached such heights.

I think the Japanese have an eye like no one else. Even today, if I am researching a lens or camera and type it into flickr, it is always (almost only?) the Japanese photographers who do things that make me say "wow, I really want to do that, too!"

 

[blockend]

Do you know the work of Anders Peteresen:

Dead Link Removed

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

I've seen occasional examples of Petersen's work but your link has shown me much I was unaware of, thank you.

 

[4season]

Really had a blast on my last couple of trips to Japan and just sort of observed/absorbed as much as I could. More appreciation there for vagueness and hinting at things, I think. And a love of small details. Some blind spots too, like the spaces under an expressway but, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tempted to carry an Olympus half frame or Trip 35 along on my next out-of-town adventure.

 

[hudson]

4season...that's an amazing smiley you just did there!

 

[hudson]

what book is this from?

 

[4season]

The right-hand image appears in Moriyama Shinjuku Araki; I don't know about the one on the left.

 

[hudson]

ah cool...thanks 4season...also, wow...looks like a great book!

 

[hudson]

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are about Daido Moriyama's use of appropriated images...where he took photographs of other photographs. He must of got this through Andy Warhol's influence. Appropriation was the big thing when I was a kid in the eighties, but has since fallen out of favor. Personally I think it is very effective in the context of a photobook where the point is a blur of images.

 

[4season]

They want to put their ads in public spaces, they're fair game as far as I'm concerned. But in the way he's cropped and reframed, he has repurposed them, and the righthand image in particular, with it's stream of lights seeming to emanate from the lips, likely tells a very different story than the ad agency envisioned! But even sans reflections, the lefthand image immediately feels vintage to me, say 1960s, because of the dark lipstick versus the lighter stuff (with sparkly bits) on the right. Those reflections are awesome. And by isolating the lips and framing at that particular angle, very sensual.

 

[Brian L]

Anyone else here interested in Japanese photography from the 70's?

Oh yes. Also I don't know much about of these fantastic photographers, I felt and feel much inspired by the approaches I find within that kind of photography. Shame on me, but I just scratched the surface of it, I think.I owe Moriyama, not only as a student of photography, but as a human being. It was one of his pictures that sort of helped me through some difficult situations in my life. This particular photo caused emotions I normally feel while listening to music, not from viewing something. It also encouraged me to pick up the camera again. The whole concept of focusing on producing a book (or a series) rather then a single image is also very interesting, seems to be connected to Keruacish/Beatnckish stream of consciousness approach.
I also like the way Moriyama reflects what he's doing - his Tales of Tono isn't just a good to view, but also a very enlightening lecture. The english version of it (Tate 2012) also contains a worth reading article by the translater, explaining alot of the hard to translate concepts Moriyama uses in his writings. He's not just a good photographer, he's also a brilliant writer...

All the best,
Brian

 

[blockend]

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are about Daido Moriyama's use of appropriated images...where he took photographs of other photographs. He must of got this through Andy Warhol's influence. Appropriation was the big thing when I was a kid in the eighties, but has since fallen out of favor. Personally I think it is very effective in the context of a photobook where the point is a blur of images.

My favourite use of advertising is Stephen Gill's series on billboards: http://timj3rdyearphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/stephen-gill-billboards.html The site isn't mine, it's the first one I came across!

 

[IloveTLRs]

Is anyone familiar with Yamasaki Koji? Dead Link Removed. I find his work fascinating.

 

[swanlake1]

I like the photos I saw of Yamasaki Koji on the web. Very dramatic, very much in the Provoke style. I find them inspiring!

 

[Brian L]

Is anyone familiar with Yamasaki Koji? Dead Link Removed. I find his work fascinating.

Thanks for posting the link - just received a copy of Yamasaki's book. It's good one. It's one of these books I'm gonna keep on visiting again - very inspiring!

All the Best,

Brian

 

[4season]

"Yamasaki Ko-Ji" is an alcoholic photographer. This is a very special ultra great funky crazy exiting man."

I may have to get that book too

 

[swanlake1]

"Yamasaki Ko-Ji" is an alcoholic photographer. This is a very special ultra great funky crazy exciting man."

haha...I know that feeling, too...but I've put those days behind me.

 

[ericdan]

Just saw Daido in Shinjuku on Sunday. The man definitely looks weird. Not a normal person walking the street.