Shomei Tomatsu
Recently I was researching modern Japanese photographers, trying to understand their aesthetic of transforming and expanding simple content (visual haiku?), their use of space (often empty, often black…), and finally what I see as their consistent perturbed and psychologically dislocated conclusions.
Shomei Tomatsu was one who’s work stood out as being important to me.
photo: “Boy and the Sea,” Tokyo, 1969. © Shomei Tomatsu.
photo: “Melted Bottle” (From the series “Nagasaki 11:02), Nagasaki, 1961. © Shomei Tomatsu.
the title of the last is:
“Melted beer bottle after atomic explosion”
Tomatsu is one of Japan’s greats. I assume you have seen the Skin of the Nation exhibition / catalogue? One of my favourite catalogues in recent years and a great measure of what a great artist this man is.
Marc, by now this is an old post, old enough that I’d all but forgotten it, but your comment brought Tomatsu’s work back to mind. I’ve never seen his Skin of the Nation catalog, but I’m going to look into it right now.