TAB Event - Eikoh Hosoe Exhibition

This event has ended.
At Epson Imaging Gallery Epsite
Media: Photography, Art Talk

Photographer Eikoh Hosoe's life is a reflection of the path taken by postwar Japanese photographic history. Hosoe has consistently made work that channels artistic concepts originating in Europe and America and bringing a certain intensity of expression and strength of vision to Japanese photography.
Hosoe bought his first camera when he was 15, in 1948. While still a teenager, he mingled with artists like Eikyu, Masuo Ikeda, Masa Kato, Toru Takemitsu and On Kawara, while being strongly influenced by the work of Teijiro Kubo, Shuzo Takiguchi and Shikanosuke Oka. Upon graduation from the photography department of the Tokyo Photography College (now Tokyo Polytechnic University) at 21, Hosoe decided to work as a freelance photographer right away.
In 1959, Hosoe formed the Vivo group (disbanded in 1961) along with Kikuji Kawada, Akira Sato, Akira Tanno, Shomei Tomatsu and Ikko Narahara, producing their own work and establishing an economic base for their activities.
The same year that Vivo was founded, Hosoe became friends with Anraku Butoh founder Tatsumi Hijikata and saw the "Kinshoku" performance at the Dai-ichi Seimei Hall in Tokyo which left a deep impression on him. Like Hosoe, Hijikata was born in Akita in the Tohoku region of Japan. At the age of 21, when Hosoe decided to become a photographer, Hijikata was inspired by Kazuo Ono's butoh performance in Kanda, Tokyo and entered the world of life as a butoh performer.
The encounter between these two artists flowered forth after the photo collection "Kamaitachi" was published in 1969 by Gendai Shisousha. Although Hijikata passed away in 1986 at the age of 57, his spirit seems to live on in Hosoe, who produced an Eros-inspired color work entitled "Shunpon: Ukiyo-e Urushi," shot at HIjikata's former training ground, the Asbestos-kan in Meguro, Tokyo (closed 2003), where Hosoe shot photographs of butoh artists (and Hijikata disciples) whose bodies had been painted white and on whom images of ukiyo-e were projected.
Following this, Hosoe used digital technology in conjunction with Japanese folding screens, hanging scrolls and other traditional arts in pursuit of a new photographic style. This solo exhibition by Hosoe at Epsite is a manifestation of this fusion of the fundamental components of both technology and Japanese culture.

Gallery Talk by the artist
July 5th (Sat) 15:00-16:00

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• 4 people recommend this event: tomomi, museum (JAPAN), ferdinand, kykr (日本)

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