Matthias Harder Erik Kessels - Reflex Amsterdam

122 Pages·2012·11.94 MB·English

Erik Kessels D Matthias Harder
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1966 Roermond, The Netherlands Dr. Matthias Harder has been working as

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O the chief curator at the Helmut Newton
Erik Kessels is since 1996 Creative Director R Foundation in Berlin since 2004 and has
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of communications agency KesselsKramer in A been teaching at the Free University of
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Amsterdam. A Berlin since 2002. Prior to his current
Kessels is a photography collector and has JO position, he was a guest curator at the
published several books of his ‘collected’ U Fotomuseum/Münchner Stadtmuseum for
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images: Missing Links (1999), The Instant Men E three years and a curator at the New
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(2000), in almost every picture (2001-2012) FO Society of Visual Art in Berlin for four years.
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and Wonder (2006). Since 2000, he has been S
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an editor of the alternative photography E Born in Kiel in 1965, Matthias Harder
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magazine Useful Photography. For BON IN studied Art History, Classical Archaeology
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JOURNEY FOR SOMETHING
DAIDO MORIYAMA
JOURNEY FOR SOMETHING
Fast City, Fast Pictures
Essay by Matthias Harder
His photographs are characterized by their of Shinjuku, appear in Moriyama’s images as
coarse grain and the sense of a passing glance a unifying element or even a leitmotif. There
at the people in the streets of Japan’s cities: are close-ups of fishnet stocking-covered
Daido Moriyama is a master of swiftly legs whose wearer we do not see, or the
capturing everyday situations that occur slender legs of young women, who – rendered
before his camera, and which through his anonymous by the picture’s close framing –
camera become something special. The have caught the photographer’s eye while
photographs he takes of his fellow Japanese passing by on escalators or on the street.
citizens are spontaneous and intuitive. They Strolling, or rather aimlessly meandering
depict drunkards in suits, children in school through Tokyo’s wide streets and narrow
uniforms, Kabuki actors, and time and again, alleyways is also a symptom of an insatiable
beautiful women. He also selects unusual angles: curiosity and inner restlessness. It is not
some pictures are shot at hip level, pointed at surprising that a close-up from 1971 of a dog
the legs or the bottoms of women passing by. photographed at eye level – the iconic Stray
A documentary film portrait of Moriyama Dog – comes to represent Moriyama’s alter
reveals how such shots are created: like Henri ego. One of his many photography books
Cartier-Bresson before him, he walks casually would later be titled Memories of a Dog.
and unobtrusively through the urban His visual language lives from light and darkness,
underbrush, holding a tiny camera in his right under- and incorrect exposures, from smudges
hand dangling by his side, ready to shoot. and oblique angles, which make the images
Many of his images are realized unconsciously, seem incidental, at times even crude. The
indeed uncontrollably. He also takes pictures contrasts and shadows are often hard, the
from moving cars, often going unnoticed. In the motifs partially cut off. Daido Moriyama is
film, Moriyama seems less like a professional interested in the visual surprises of everyday
photographer than a tourist in his own country. life, from a fly on the windowpane looking out
During walks through the city he across the spectacular Tokyo vista, to construc-
records a situation in a snapshot, often tion sites, storefront windows or torn down
without stopping, using the medium like a posters revealing layers of history of past
visual diary. During his hours-long walks, the events and films. In his own publications he
artist takes a great deal more images than presents all his motifs as full-page images,
he ultimately uses; editing – the subsequent arranged equally, alongside one another.
selection of the final images that transport the Or his impressions become images whose
desired atmo-sphere – is thus an extension context of creation one can hardly fathom,
of his creative process. His photographs are such as the circular tiles of “love hotel”
stylized and simultaneously authentic. bathroom whose seemingly three-dimensional
Japanese society is filled with contradictions; its surface the photographer depicts in its clearly
thousand-year-old traditions are as intensively delineated, yet chaotic rhythm.
lived as the newest technical novelties – and But there are not only urban stories that he
this applies to all generations. Women, during tells with his camera. While he was only
the day in the streets and at night in the bars seldom abroad, Daido Moriyama, as we see
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here at the start of the seventies, also dedicated himself to a personally influenced
explored Japan’s more rural areas and portrait of Japanese society that frequently
historical sites – taking after his role model includes members of marginal groups whose
Jack Kerouac. The narrative told by his bleak, existence challenges the cliché of the ultra-
occasionally melancholic photography is organized, fully employed market state. He
very subjective. In post-war Germany it was continues to translate and reduce the cities’
Otto Steinert who initiated the Subjective attention-grabbing neon into classical black and
Photography movement, which was preceded white analogue photography. He still
by the first Neorealist films in Italy – both develops his pictures in his dark room at home,
are possible inspirational sources for similar using multiple exposures and other effects, alon
approaches in Japanese photography. Moriyama g with occasional post-processing to heighten
is not alone in his style: in 1961 he moved to the contrast. Moriyama maintains full control
Tokyo and in the context of the Vivo group over his images, from shooting the photograph
befriended Shomei Tomatsu and Eikoh Hosoe to the final print, and remains true to his own
– older colleagues who were nonetheless style – even when the world seems to abound
likeminded in spirit and style. It was from with ever-advancing
around this time on that Moriyama’s own technical discoveries. Few know that, for
images were published in various magazines, several years now, he also uses color film
including Asahi Camera and Camera Mainichi. in his camera, as it is only seldom that color
The 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo not only prints result. Also, Moriyama works with a
gave the world a glimpse into this island fill flash during the day and does not always
nation; it also gave the economy an unexpected use the viewfinder of his compact camera.
boost. A number of native photographers Although his work process seems playful and
benefitted from this, including Daido Moriyama, light, in the sensory overload of Tokyo his own
whose fame grew through publications as well senses are fully concentrated. He transforms
as being named “Most Promising people into archetypes; at the same time he
Photographer” by the Japanese Photo Critics preserves as well as evokes their personality.
Organization. Many magazines offered him a In his seismographic social portraits, the silent
carte blanche to pick his themes for photo consent of many of his protagonists is obvious
series as well as individual pictures, which as they gaze into the camera. Other pictures
would often be used for the cover. The now are “stolen,” paparazzi-style. But Moriyama, an
legendary magazine PROVOKE, which enjoyed observer who is as restless as he is precise, is
only three issues between 1968 and 1970, not interested in celebrities, but in the normal
arrived on the Japanese photo scene “like a person on the stage of everyday life, which
bomb” according to his colleague Nobuyoshi sometimes gives the impression of a film set.
Araki, and in hindsight signaled the start of a Daido Moriyama is a classic. Not only will his
new era. In 1969 and 1970 Moriyama achievements be remembered in the history
published several images in the magazine’s of (Japanese) photography and influence many
second and third issues that included erotic younger photographers; he also has a sure spot
motifs from a love hotel. In the mid-seventies, in contemporary photography. The fast and the
he founded together with Tomatsu and Araki happenstance is fed by his unrivalled intuition f
a photography school in Tokyo, and a good e situation and the moment, and is the hallmark
decade later, a photography gallery. Moriyama of this significant as well as
went well beyond his own photographic radical, enduringly enigmatic oeuvre.
pursuits to engage with the medium and
its communication. Matthias Harder,
For more than five decades, Moriyama has Helmut Newton Foundation, Berlin
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Drowning in Moriyama
Essay by Erik Kessels
It’s rare nowadays that a photographer has a photograph and makes them into one image.
consistent style of working throughout his entire Many times you see photographers taking pictures
career. Daido Moriyama is one of the few who of a subject, which becomes the centre of the image.
does. Since the seventies he produced thousands It’s clear that the photographer intended to do this,
of photographs all with the same character and as if he or she likes to say: Look here. This often
aesthetics. He resisted joining with the changing leaves little room for interpretation. Moriyama mostly
style of photography and although he made some doesn’t do this; in my view he is interested in the
beautiful colour work over the years, his approach for picture as a whole. An image that by chance has a
strong graphic black and white photography is a style certain size but could also live beyond this fixed size.
that is clearly his own. His photographs go on beyond the borders of the
paper. This is a result of extreme layouts and cropping.
I am most fascinated by the images where he For example, graphic lines and patterns that you
mixes light and shadow in a rhythmic, playful way. find often in his work. The lines run and jut across
This can be seen in numerous subjects. Suddenly a the page, and you can imagine them journeying on.
traditional geisha lying on the pavement underneath Through this stark geometry, this capturing of the
a tree in Tokyo merges almost with a street scene mathematical lines that form the urban landscapes
in New York. The masses of people cutting through and corridors of our lives, it gives us a sense of
a pedestrian crossing in Tokyo become a rhythmic regimented order within the shambolic city life.
pattern of lines, shapes and spots. It’s perfectly
choreographed in the picture, even though it’s Intense bursts of light dominate many images, so
probably taken in an instant. Daido Moriyama must dazzling you shield your eyes. If Moriyama takes a
be enormously influenced by the rise of all the picture of a certain specific subject he transforms
publicity, signs and lights in the high streets of Tokyo. it by light. A beautiful example of this is a basket full
This subject is constantly coming back in his pictures, of aubergines. You can say, not the most photogenic
and travelled with him over the years to all kind of subject, but perfect for Moriyama. He plays with the
locations. With his way of looking at , he looked at extreme dark and light differences that result in an
New York, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and many other image of aubergines that you haven’t seen yet. Making
cities. Travelling, in general, played a huge role in his the ordinary extra-ordinary.
photography.
Then there are the dark brooding masses of objects,
The sum of all the works of Moriyama shows the people and atmosphere, sometimes so dense and
clutter and chaos of objects and people with whom heavy, the images buckle under their weight; but more
we anonymously share our lives and cities in which often than not are levelled out by glistening, revealing
we inhabit. This hasn’t changed in all the years white light. There is life within these contrasts,
Moriyama has taken pictures of them. It’s his unique so much so, that you can almost see the images
eye that remains constant when looking at the world. breathing.
Moriyama uses his extreme black and white palette
to make what can be considered as one huge image I always wondered why I fell in love with the work of
of this world, whether you’re looking at Amsterdam, Daido Moriyama. Why his work and his books are so
Tokyo or New York. Because of this abstraction we addictive. His approach on first sight is rather classical,
are completely focussed on the image as a total, its but when you let yourself go and you dare to get
lights and darks. The aesthetic of his work is a result ‘drowned’ in his photographs, you feel the sensation
of his view to record impressions that are available. of them. His search for radical spots, lines and shapes
Impressions through his lens work for him as a black that disrupt the image seems to be a constant
and white painting and only can be seen after he inspiration for him and surprises you time after time.
printed it on paper. Sometimes it takes a while before
your brain connects all the different spots in the Erik Kessels, Amsterdam
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