YAMAMOTO MASAO

Active mostly outside Japan, Yamamoto is primarily known for his poetically tranquil black-and-white photographs and photo-based installations. This long-awaited solo show at Mizuma Art Gallery, mainly revolving around the artist’s recent Shizuka (Cleanse) series, will be the first since his last one back in 2009.

The protagonists in Shizuka are rocks found by the roadside and tree roots that caught the artist’s attention. Yamamoto places them in front of jet-black backgrounds, and authentically conveys their shapes and textures outlined by faint lights and shadows that he carefully picks up with his camera. Detached from social and natural-historical meaning, these fragments of the world inspire dreamy thoughts like photographs sent to us from outer space when outspread before our eyes.

Rather exceptionally within his oeuvre, Yamamoto gave some of the works in this series such suggestive titles as Dance or Unite. Just like we connect the stars in the night sky into constellations, these works charge the brimming silent light with organic creativity. Visit this exhibition and witness a “celestial map” of roadside spots discovered by Yamamoto in daily life.

Offered for sale at the venue is a photo book that was jointly published by Seigensha and RM (Spain). Please also note that a precious limited edition including a platinum print is available as well.