Reading the collection of works "Illuminance" (part 1)
10Kawauchi's masterpiece, which will be re-released at the end of the year, is a must-have collection of works, especially in these times when our daily lives are in a state of uncertainty. This book does not praise "ordinary everyday life," but rather presents the gentle succession of life and death within it, and the shapeless world that is like a daydream. |
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2001From "Utatane" published in10In 2013, Kawauchi took that world to even greater heights.13The second collection of works is "Illuminance" was produced.
And more10Years Later2021In 2013, the Japanese independent publisher "Torch Press" and the American Photographic Institute "Aperture" This book, which has been out of print for a long time, has been republished in a new edition.
Based on the concept of a new edition that respects the original, no changes were made to the composition of the photographs or the format, and the Dutch publisher"Fw:Books"Some of the designs have been revamped by Hans Gremen, the designer behind the project.2The essays in the book are from the announcement10This will be a great help when re-reading the work after many years have passed.
Foil/Aperture edition (first edition) and torch press/Aperture edition (new edition). The boldly revamped cover design catches your eye, but it's also interesting to look at the surrounding text. The first edition features text made of dots reminiscent of illuminations, while the new edition uses ink that changes color depending on how the light hits it. Kawauchi revealed in an interview that he had originally intended to title this work "Iridescence," but perhaps he has changed the shape of the book to reflect that idea.[*1]
Foil/Aperture version (top) and torch press/Aperture version (bottom). The first edition, including the design around the text, was designed with a worldview of sparkling light in mind, highlighting the artwork as an object. On the other hand, the new edition, released 10 years later, is not as flashy in appearance, but it has been designed to highlight each photograph and work.
As the name "Illuminance" implies, it is a series of works that confronts the proposition of light in photography. This world is filled with light and darkness, life and death. These fragments captured by Kawauchi Rinko, which contain beauty and sadness at the same time, appeal to us about what is universal, transcending time and place. Sublime yet modest, they open a new door to the world we see. - From the commentary on "Illuminance" |
Illuminance refers to the psychological amount of brightness felt by humans that illuminates a flat surface. Kawauchi considers this to be the fundamental theme of photography, and has compiled a book of photographs he has taken over the past 15 years on the subject of "light."
"Utatane" and "Illumincance" share the same general worldview,[*2]These two films should be seen as very different in nature rather than as part of a series.
In the previous work, Kawauchi reigned at the center of the work as the master of the everyday scenery captured, or as the subject of "dozing," whereas in "Illuminance" the phenomenon of light itself is the central focus.[*3] The number of photographs that make you think this way has decreased, and the impression is more fragmented, which has loosened the tight connection between the artist's personality and everyday life and his photographs.
As a result, the photographs included in this book are "images" so anonymous and detached that they are sometimes reminiscent of stock photos.[*4]
Spread from "Illuminance"
Both works share the common theme of capturing the various forms of death that lurk in everyday life, but as the commentary makes clear, "Utatane" places even greater emphasis on the magic of the photographer/camera that transforms familiar scenes into unfamiliar ones, and also contains many images that evoke "life."[*5] This makes the contrast between "life and death" - or, in other words, "everyday life and the end of everyday life" - very strong, and they sharply set off each other.
on the other hand"IlluminanceIn "The Man Who Loved Women," Kawauchi's unique way of cutting out scenes and transforming reality continues,Through the common motif of lightThe photographs were taken in fragmentsLoosely connectedBy doing so, the images of life and death are not placed in opposition to each other,Each oneare presented as equivalent phenomena.
Spreads from "Illuminance"
From the continuity of the artist's everyday landscapes to the continuity of fragmentary images of the world. In both collections, the words "light and darkness" and "life and death" are used to explain the works, but the essence of this book is rather to show that, like the "nap" state that vacillates between dream and reality, it is this ambiguous state that cannot be measured by such an opposing structure that is the nature of this world and our daily lives.
(Continued)
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[*1] Lina Fretsch, "History of Japanese Photography 1945-2017: Japanese Photography from a European Perspective"Diversity of the World," 2018, p. 201
[*2] "A photo collection of everyday subjects, including carp, clouds, crows, curtains, old men, tires, fried eggs, ants, and butterflies. The focus is on ordinary scenery, flowers and tiny insects that might otherwise be overlooked. Through Kawauchi Rinko's camera, a simple piece of glass becomes a sparkling jewel, a single ant takes on a stylish appearance, and the corpse of a pigeon exudes an air of fright and intimidation. Fear exists side by side with kindness. A book that gives a strong sense of life and death."- From the commentary on "Utatane"
[*3] In his essay in Illumincance, David Chandler acknowledges Kawauchi's words that the book is a very personal collection of works that gives the impression of being told in the first person throughout, and that each photograph is directly connected to the artist's own life and experiences, but suggests that the photographs do not have the role or status of being records in the stream of consciousness that is created when viewing the book, which overlaps fragments. All photographs, with a few exceptions, are inevitably deeply connected to the photographer. Despite this premise, the fragmentary nature of the work, which is further emphasized by the square format, the structure of the book, and the nature of photographs that change meaning completely when the context changes give the book an impression that is both extremely personal and at the same time anonymous, like stock photography.
[*4] "My memories become confused; for example, when I wake up I confuse dreams with reality, or I suddenly remember insignificant events from my past. It feels so real, and sometimes it makes me feel really sick. Even if I don't remember the scenery I see every day, the fact is that it's all stored in my brain, and we live our lives with that memory inside us. I have always had this kind of obsession, which is both very scary and a source of inspiration.With this in mind, I titled my first photo book 'Utatane' (Napping), and the concept of 'Illuminance' remains the same."- 2012 Tokyo Photographic Art Museum's Independent Exhibition "Kawauchi Rinko Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Seeing Shadow"https://topmuseum.jp/contents/exhibition/topic-1593.html (accessed on 24th March 2022)
[*5] Kawauchi's photographs are often described as not simply depicting ordinary everyday life, but as transforming the subject through the photographer's sharp perspective and the magic of the camera, evoking new perspectives and sensations on everyday scenery and the world. However, Kawauchi says that her aim is not to show reality as fantasy, but rather to realistically express the scenery she has seen and the world she sees. For more details, see "PHOTOGRAPHICA 2009 Winter vol.17."
Title: Illuminance
Artist: Rinko Kawauchi
torch press/Aperture, 2021
Hardcover with obi-band, French fold / Swiss binding
287 x 219 mm
384 pages
Text in Japanese
The tenth anniversary edition
¥6,500 + tax
Product purchaseHere