23. In this world…
Dear friends,
After my last newsletter, many of you wrote with thoughts about, and reactions to, my latest project: candid moments photographed simultaneously from different angles. Thank you! Your feedback means a great deal.
I’m still at work with the concept, and perhaps will have more to say about it later. This month, though, I’d like to discuss my preparations for a new exhibition. It is in a unique space and I am incredibly excited about it.
For the past two and a half years, my photography has been almost entirely about time: the centuries of slow change along the Furukawa river; the way a single street corner changes over the course of a day; the limitations of the single moment.
I’ve recently been thinking about some of my older photos and how they might play a role in this investigation. In particular, I am interested in time’s role as the instrument of impermanence and mortality. With this in mind, I began juxtaposing photos of people on the street with photos of birds in Tokyo.
While I was working on this, I was approached by the curators of a new exhibition space in Tokyo, the Jinny Street Gallery, asking if I would like to be part of their opening show.
“Street gallery”?
Many years ago, the neighborhood of Jingumae 2-chome (colloquially called “Jinny”) installed glass display cases beneath 42 of its street lamps. These cases, tall and narrow and lit up at night, remind me of the rectangular lamps called andon that have been popular since the Edo period. The display cases seem to have been used for a variety of purposes but lately had fallen into disuse. Now they have been cleaned up and transformed into an outdoor space for the enjoyment of art by people walking the neighborhood.
And it indeed is a great neighborhood! Close to, yet away from the bustle of Shinjuku and Shibuya, its wide sidewalks are lined with cafes and boutiques, with numerous hidden gems down its backstreets. Perfect for a stroll, either by day or after dark.
The curators expect that the gallery will be used for many different kinds of visual art, with the ultimate goal of creating a new art community centered around the neighborhood. They are inaugurating the space with a group photography show.
Of course, I said that I would love to join. What an opportunity to reach people who might not walk into an indoor gallery—and also to do something creative with a special space, where art can be seen at a different pace.
My first thought was that this might be the chance to present the juxtapositions of birds and people that I have been working on, as diptychs with one photo above the other. But I wanted to make full use of the specific dimensions of the displays. Could I add a third photo to each group, to make a series of triptychs?
As I considered various stacks of three photos, I was reminded of the three phrase structure of a haiku. One of my favorite haiku dealing with the experience of time is by Kobayashi Issa.
Here is the translation by Robert Hass:In this world
We walk on the roof of hell
Gazing at flowers
I realized that flowers, like birds, can call to mind the passage of time and the temporality of life. And I have taken hundreds of photos of Tokyo’s flowers, in various states from first bloom to decay.
I created six triptychs for this group show, each of them different, yet cohesive in spirit.
There then remained the work of physically preparing the triptychs for exhibition.
Historically in Japan, photographs—like many other forms of art—were often mounted on wooden panels. Even though matting and framing have become more common today, such wooden paneling is still popular. It gives photos depth and a warm presence that feels perfect for this work, and for the presentation space.
My final pieces measure approximately 47 centimeters high and half as wide, that is to say, about 18 inches by 9 inches. The wood panels are wrapped with black tape and finished with a protective matte laminate that adds a sophisticated feel. I think they are beautiful, and I am as happy with them as anything I have physically produced.
I am offering for sale a very limited edition of three of the pieces. Only ten of each will ever be made. Each one is USD 350 / JPY 48,000, with worldwide shipping included.
The panels are lightweight and are prepared with hardware for hanging. (They also look great leaning against a wall.) Being handmade, some minor variations are possible, making each piece unique. Each one is individually numbered.
If you have any questions, please do write.
And if you are in Tokyo, I hope that you will come to the exhibition and see the complete series! My work will be intermingled with that of six other photographers: Daniele Martire, Leon Gallo, Lorenzo Menghi, Lukasz Palka, Toto Tvalavadze, and Yusuke Nagata. Each of them is indeed talented, and I am excited to discover how they will be using this unique space.
The exhibition will be up from January 15 - February 17, 2023. There are 42 display cases in total. Here’s a link to a map.
Being an outdoor gallery, the art can be viewed 24 hours a day, and will be lit up by the street lamps from sundown to sunup. I am currently planning to offer a number of walking tours, in which I will also talk about my photography. I’ll announce a schedule for those in my January newsletter.
Until then, I hope you have a gentle and enjoyable holiday season. I’ll be taking some time with my family to travel, and then will be back for the New Year holiday.
With best regards,
Joel
世の中は地獄の上の花見かな