Setting Sun: Writings by Japanese Photographers

by Ivan Vartanian (Editor), Akihiro Hatanaka (Editor), Yutaka Kanbayashi (Editor)

The recent rise in the West of Japanese photography makes Setting Sun a crucial document. The first anthology of its kind to appear in English, this book collects key texts written from the 1950s to the present by the country's most celebrated and controversial photographers, and illuminates a set of ideas, rules and aesthetics that are specific to Japanese culture, but often little known elsewhere. Contributors include Takuma Nakahira and Daido Moriyama, in whose landmark late-60s magazine Provoke a radically new direction in Japanese photography was set; Nobuyoshi Araki, the provocative and prolific chronicler of bound girls (among other subjects); and Eikoh Hosoe, whose collaborations with the Butoh dance master Hijikata and the novelist Mishima made him prominent as an intellectual figure as well as a photographer. In addition, there are selections from modern masters such as Masahisa Fukase, Takashi Homma, Takuma Nakahira and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Each chapter in the book is devoted to a central theme that is particular to Japanese photography, such as the role of nostalgia in a culture that has often sought to jettison its past amid the shadows of a war lost. The writings vary in form from diary entry to scholarly treatise, but all reflect a clear connection between word and image, one so essential that no comprehensive consideration of Japanese photography can be complete without it.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Japan, Essays, Cultural, Art and Photography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Ivan Vartanian is an author, editor and the founder of Goliga Books, Inc., a book-packaging company specializing in art, photography, and design. His publications on art include: Full Vinyl: The Subversive Art of Designer Toys, an overview of hundreds of the world's most popular miniature collectible figures and the inspired creators behind them, Andy Warhol: Drawings and Illustrations of the 1950s, which traces the artist's ten years of work as a commercial illustrator before his re-invention as a pop artist and impresario, Egon Schiele: Drawings and Watercolors, a comprehensive chronology of the artist's rapid development as a master of human expression before his death at the age of 28, and Drop Dead Cute: The New Generation of Women Artists in Japan, a survey of contemporary drawing in Japan. His design books include: Now Loading . . . : The Aesthetics of Web Graphics, a survey of cutting-edge web design, Graphiscape: New York City and Graphiscape: Tokyo, a series of books about “found graphics“ that define the graphic sense of major cities, and TypoGraphics, a look at the overlap between graphics and type. His photography books include the monographs Studio Portrait: A Documentary of Yoshitomo Nara, Kamaitachi: Photographs by Eikoh Hosoe, and the anthology Setting Sun: Writings by Japanese Photographers. Ivan Vartanian lives in Tokyo, Japan.

Reviews

[Tosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's unusual to find writings by photographers, because they normally think with their instrument of choice, the camera. But in Japan, there seems to be a tradition of photographers who write their own introductions, as well a good selection of magazines devoted to the photographic art. "Setting Sun: Writings by Japanese Photographers" is a fascinating anthology of writings by mostly well-known (in the West as well as in Europe) photo artists who seemed to write in a very personal manner. That alone, makes this book very interesting. Eikoh Hosoe's fascinating introduction or essay on working with Yukio Mishima, is very insightful in how the writer portrays himself, even while working with an independent photo-artist like Hosoe. My favorite essayists in this book is Daaido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki. Overall I like their photo books, but also their writings are very insightful with respect how they reflect on their work, and on the topic of photography itself. Fascinating book.

[Jonathan Hughen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having searched for a copy of this book at a reasonable price for the longest time, I am excited to say that it was worth the $85 I spent on a used copy. This book was enlightening and eye opening in many facets. As an artists who's work is heavily influenced by post-war Japanese photography this was an obvious choice to read and I can say that it offered a welcome insight on the workflow and philosophy of many of the artists that inspire me daily.

[Nam Pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a great deal of drama from Mishima's writing, I picked up this non-fiction book in the hope of removing some blurriness and dubiety out of my vision. And it's extremely rewarding. The writing of most artists retained the tone of nostalgia with the exception of Nobuyoshi Araki's dry and blunt humor. But more than that, It is extremely important to measure your thoughts and refocus the view of your practice and these writings certainly did the job well.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great compilation of stories by Japanese photographers. Most of the stories are rather poetic in that calm Japanese way.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encouraging for photographers who write.