Interview with Japanese photographer Masao Yamamoto
The only thing I want to express their strong
Wen / Wu Qi
Like his work and his quiet, their small size, as can carry the memory, sometimes the smaller things can make people feel more vitality.
Japanese international photography circles quite some weight, Nobuyoshi Araki, Daido Moriyama, Hideki Fujii, who the provision of paths to a few pairs of eye of renowned Orient. Among these people, Masao Yamamoto is not how loud. He is a lean, middle-aged men, long eyelashes, big eyes, born in 1957 in Aichi, Japan, learning photography from the oil change, do frequently show the 90s.
Yamamoto's work and man are much like Araki as bold insolent. He Araki than willing to make a outgoing and eat and talk and talk mix of people, while he is sitting in that corner down dinner, silent guy. He said people were not the same, happy are not the same.
Last month, Yamamoto Mizuma Art Gallery in Beijing held a solo exhibition "River." As usual, he was measured in the field size, spatial relationships according to the new arrangement works. The last moment before the opening of the exhibition, he also stayed in an empty hall and down left and right hand to adjust the distance photos. Photo irregularly arranged, and some were attached very high, tiptoe very difficult to see.
Most of his works already pitifully small, small as half a fingernail or even a big hand. From afar, the photos sparsely thick rag attached to the white wall, just like a dirty stain on the wall. This is his 90s from the way the device used, initially because of the poor, the small pictures on the wall densely frame can save the cost of production, but also to make themselves more work to be seen. He said: "Living in a small house, it must be like to live in a small house can do." Until then, he uncovered a story from the order and feel, as published on the works of individual signs.
Small photo of his intentional choice, for him, photos like the memory, if a photograph can hold in the palm, as if you can carry that memory. Between the hands, inch of land, it is a very intimate size, and on the wallet in the family portrait is a reason.
Family portrait with me, always watching, always feel it is easy to impairment, but the older but more emotional. Yamamoto is the pursuit of this effect. The exhibition, his photographs are old to slightly yellow, there is water damage, but also tilt to the corners. At first glance thought it was too careless careless person exhibit, in fact, their intent to do the old mountain. He often put small photos in your pocket either they caress, and sometimes tear, or use the tea water to soak. Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography at an exhibition, he has also put two or three hundred photos on a small leather bag, to allow visitors to touch.
Although he does not like too much manual intervention, but it is obsessed with keeping time in the traces of the photo, he said: "I had to put them grow old."
Old-fashioned technology, conservative temperament, the habit of bowing every person, Masao Yamamoto found a very Japanese way of expression. Yasujiro Ozu put the camera down, and the life of a high flush, and he put the camera at the still life, landscape and all of nature and details of life, concerned about the slightly frivolous, "the stone and food to the general salute." A group of birds, waterside sheep, a drop of the hand to the sky, a row of mushrooms in the jungle, snow-capped mountains under a tree, a variety of twisted twigs, changing clouds, mountains, water and cherry blossoms. Kongkuo his composition, perspective alone, just take black and white, had no strange objects in the viewfinder showing his unique and delicate emotions.
He once compared his small works in Japanese, "to promote sound", that is the short break between the two sounds. Yamamoto, each also pause to answer questions before a moment, eyes closed even think about it, like take a little time to listen to the sound of breathing in the middle of it.
He himself lived in the forest, away from the city, stay in the fresh air away from the mainstream world, walk the dog walk like Mount Fuji. When he came out of "paradise", with works throughout the exhibition, they can get the audience's understanding of East and West. Although the degree of depth, but he works in poetry and Zen, it seems not difficult to understand. Some people boast that he is a poet, some say he represents the "virtual" and "empty" the oriental art, he is subtle smile, like how to say he was very happy.
B = Bund
M = Yamamoto Masao (Masao Yamamoto)
Not very good with people
B: Why move from painting photography?
M: started taking pictures only after notice to the original that they are good at painting actually is not so good, but compared to more good photography. Also, I like the authenticity of photography, painting can not be said true, but I think photography is a better way to show true.
B: You are usually readily shoot you in life? Do not put the shot?
M: what more natural shooting, shot put very little. Basically, when shooting less likely to think that once an object attractive to me, or I sent a sigh, I will press the shutter. Or feel more suited to their style, or that it contains some kind of idea.
B: You shoot a lot of plants and animals, relatively speaking, less portraits, and why?
M: Shoot, when the subject of people to face the camera, the photographer must have communication with each other, I think a lot of trouble, or that I'm not good at these. But when shooting animals and plants, you do not need this red tape, is not it?
B: Nobuyoshi Araki often shoot people, you like his work?
M: Many of his works I liked, but a little disappointed that he was too enlarged "sex." This is just something people need to survive and multiply, but some people seek to stimulate, or even too crazy. I really want to make Araki is "sex" which comparative literature, delicate part, but added he did not cover, trick to shoot them all. I like him that quiet, soft works, more delicate and more sexy, not too fond of a naked woman tied.
B: work is on display when dealing with people, this time you will be nervous?
M: there will be tension, worry about how you look at my work and I want to express things through work. Interestingly, sometimes there will be a small child on my work issued by the stunning interpretation, which makes me particularly happy.
B: But you still hope to take pictures, show the audience this way and share the beauty of your daily life.
M: I was in the hands of their own values, work, and hope to share with everyone. But I'm not sure the form through exhibitions and we will certainly achieve the purpose of sharing, I dare not say so, Araki as outgoing person may have more to share it. If we really are able to share it, there would be no war, because war is another reason why the gap occurred.
Smaller things can make people feel more vitality
B: In many photographs have appeared in the "hand" this element, such as hand holding something, throw something, why it is so beloved hand?
M: Really? Oh, very interesting question. Ordinary people to judge things with your eyes, but the blind need to hand, is feeling. Eyes and hands are part of our senses, is their own thing, is the most important communication medium. But it difficult to shoot their own eyes, on the contrary, the hand can sometimes be "narrative," to express the human mind, even to pass a strong emotion. So to answer you?
B: You also particularly like the cloud?
M: clouds no entity, formed by the water droplets, changing the shape of freedom, while there, while none, while maintaining a specific shape. Do not you think there is inherently incredible clouds of it? Perhaps my own existence and shape of the object more interested.
B: the background of many photos are empty inside a flower, a ball, a tree, roof or side of a monkey, why the viewfinder always choose an isolated thing? Pursuit of a sense of loneliness?
M: This picture is undeniable that embodies a sense of loneliness, but I really want to say this is the thing itself, the only strong, but I think that more emphasis on their view of life, vitality. I strongly feel that the smaller things can make people feel more vitality.
B: a small photo shoot because trying to remember to shake hands, but the memories will always fade or flow away, how do you see?
M: There is always a good memory and bad parts. Analogy, the relationship between a child my father was not very good, but after 10 years, 20 years later look at photos, before those bad memories will slowly forget about the father of those happy memories will stay .
B: the style of your work is very obvious, and often instantly recognize, but too strong personal style will not worry about to repeat itself?
M: is there such a concern, but it is not intended to emphasize this style, but want to change get rid of. Everyone's style is a casual expression, "another series reflects the addition of their" This is wrong. Nobuyoshi Araki and Daido Moriyama and they all made a lot of series, but it is a style, one can see it is their work. It can only gradually be allowed to continue.
Sad and quiet are not contradictory
B: You said "one good photo can make people feel calm, happy people," you think you do it?
M: I do not know they have failed to do, sometimes I feel so, and sometimes do not think. But if they feel they have done perhaps no longer continue. This work is no end.
B: In fact, your people pictures are a bit sad.
M: I feel sad and calm are not contradictory. There are many people love to give you the feeling is sad, but I think it is calm, they are an emotional person.
B: You work in a kind of oriental philosophy, what is the kind of temperament? It is interesting and Western aesthetics of photography, where the biggest difference?
M: Everything Western is always argumentative, derive conclusions based on reason, and to the first life on Earth itself, pre-emptive anthropocentrism. In the East, more attention is part of human nature is. In addition, unlike the Christian monotheism, the God of Japan with 800 million and more, I believe there are spirits everywhere. With this in mind, under, people are not all entirely positive or negative things, but will always bear in mind that everything is impermanent life philosophy.
Of course, in the modern world, through economic and other exchanges, so the values are no longer closed. The more frequently abroad, the more I do not agree with "common sense in his own country does not make sense," this sentence. Has blurred the boundaries between countries, a person may not belong to a specific country, a place for common sense may also be common sense, not so different. Whether the absolute values of Western rationalism, or emotional Oriental thinking, I believe are essential to the future of the world's state of mind. Through my work, I hope you can understand this oriental gentle beauty. Even if only affect one no matter how more people can embrace tolerance of the heart, not the shackles of their own values to others, this is what I expect.
B: You mentioned the impact of your haiku great haiku can not be specific about how it affects your creativity?
M: At first glance it seems to me haiku with five, seven, five to record the language of the law of phenomena and events that have taken place, but the use of seemingly simple particle, expletive to be arranged in different seasons of the language has subtle with, not just the literal meaning of the expression, you can also express a vivid three-dimensional image. Haiku use simple expressions made us feel the world's vast expanse, which I think is very powerful. Photography as my own expression, unlike painting, it is not material, click, click on the capture screen, plus I use black and white, color less. Even in contemporary art which, photography is the creative elements and techniques are a relatively simple categories. This is my black and white photographs and haiku in common.
B: like best haiku it?
M: I like the haiku is a good wide works: "clear inside and outside, full of long day leaves."
(Thanks to the Japanese translation of mysterious red lotus for their help on this)
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