Ce livre de photographies de poche, publié pour accueillir une grande rétrospective au Musée photographique de Tokyo, offre un regard complet sur l’ensemble de l’oevre du maître photographe Masahisa Fukase. Vénéré pour son expérimentation acharnée, sa perspective unique et son intérêt pour sa vie privée comme sujet de sa photographie, le travail de Fukase a laissé un impact durable sur le monde de la photographie japonaise.
En se concentrant sur sa vie personnelle, Masahisa Fukase s’est taillé une place unique dans l’histoire de la photographie japonaise dans les années 1960. Tout en explorant les origines de la photographie, Fukase a développé une pratique majeure parmi un groupe d’artistes associés à ce qui est devenu plus tard connu comme shi-shashin (“I-photographie”).
“I never think that I can capture a certain subject by taking a photograph of it. What is important for me is how deeply I can enter into it, and to what degree I can cause it to reflect me. I want the very act of looking through the viewfinder to be a flesh-and-blood action… I strongly feel that photography can be freer, more open. I believe it is possible to relate to it in a way that encompasses my entire being.” -Masahisa Fukase, 1969
This pocket-sized photobook, published to accompy a large-scale retrospective at the Tokyo Photographic Museum, offers a comprehensive look at the entire oevre of master photographer Masahisa Fukase. Revered for his relentless experimentation, his unique perspective and his focus on his own private life as the subject of his photography, Fukase’s work has left a lasting impact on the Japanese photography world.
By focusing intently on his personal life, Masahisa Fukase carved out a unique place for himself in the history of Japanese photography in the 1960s. While exploring the origins of photography, Fukase developed a major practice among a group of artists associated with what later came to be known as shi-shashin (“I-photography”).
Fukase pointed his camera at those in his immediate surroundings, including his wife and family; and while exposing his own private life, he consciously explored the madness that lay deep within himself. This madness led to remarkable and unparalleled works that combined Fukase’s loving gaze for his subjects with his carefree sense of humor.
Featuring eight series, including his masterpiece “Karasu (Raven)” “Bukubuku” “Family” “Homo Ludence” “Sasuke” “Walking Eye” “Private Scenes” and, most notably, the first photobook appearance of the series “Yoko” since its original publication in 1978, this book traces Fukase’s work between the 1960s and early 1990s to provide a new audience with access into Masahisa Fukase’s unique visual world ; text by Tomo Kosuga (Director, Masahisa Fukase Archives).
