Enoshima 1999 ⓒ Eiichiro SAKATA
人物写真（ポートレイト）の大家、坂田栄一郎による“人のいないポートレイト”を中心としたシリーズ「江ノ島」を初公開。「江ノ島」は、坂田が90年代後半より16年間江ノ島海岸に通い、夏を謳歌する人々の姿を撮りためた作品で、砂浜に広げられた無人のレジャーシート上のさまざまなモノたちをとらえた鮮烈な静物写真（スティルライフ）と、生命力あふれる若者たちのポートレイトから成る。そこから見えてくるのは実にさまざまな個性、そして急速に移り変わる現代日本の姿。本展は、すべて初公開となるカラー写真約40点（そのうちポートレイトは約10点）で構成予定。「若者たちの姿からポジティブなエネルギーを感じて、複雑で先の見えない時代を生きるみんなに元気になってほ しい」。魂をこめて対象と向き合いつつ、鋭い観察眼で時代をとらえ続けてきた写真家・坂田栄一郎の、未来への願いが込められたフォトエキシビション。
▶坂田栄一郎 ー 江ノ島◀
会期：2013年7月13日（土）〜9月29日（日）
会場：原美術館
Enoshima 2007 ⓒ Eiichiro SAKATA & Enoshima 2007 ⓒ Eiichiro SAKATA
It’s a dream of mine to spend a Summer photographing Enoshima, the beach resort and island an hour outside of Tokyo. With lucite heeled, gel filled bra girls in full make-up and cheeky chimpira boys it has a unique and intense energy, the dark volcanic sand looks like mud when wet and it’s one of the few places in Japan you feel you have to really take care of your things unless they might be stolen.
Photographer Eiichiro Sakata has been photographing the youth of Enoshima since the early 90’s for a body of work that will be on display at the Hara Gallery next month.
‘The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is pleased to present the first public showing of Eiichiro Sakata’s Enoshima, a photo series comprised mainly of landscapes encountered by the famed photographer during visits to Enoshima. Sakata, a master of portrait photography, began taking photos of summer beach goers at the seaside resort south of Tokyo during the latter half of the 1990s. The results after 16 years of shooting are vibrant portraits of Japanese youth and vivid still-lifes of their various belongings lying casually on picnic sheets, scenes that may be thought of as ″portraits without people.″ Together, they show the truly variegated character and rapidly changing face of contemporary Japan. In total, some 40 color photographs will be shown (including about 10 portraits). “I hope people living in these complicated and unpredictable times will feel a positive energy in these images of young people, and that that energy will lift up their spirits.″ Instilled in the exhibition is the sincere hope for the future, of a photographer who through his full engagement with his subjects and his sharp and perceptive eye has captured and recorded the genuine spirit of his times.’
Sakata-sans purpose for taking photos resonates strongly with me when I think of the body of work TOkyo Dandy has amassed over the past 5 years, ‘I take photographs in order to come face to face with the energy being emitted by people, to take it in and to rejuvenate my own spirit with it. I want to convey a message to society through my photographs. I hope people living in these complicated and unpredictable times will feel a positive energy in these images of young people, and that that energy will lift up their spirits.’
Eiichiro Sakata ‘Enoshima’
HARA GALLERY TOKYO
July 13 (Saturday) – September 29 (Sunday), 2013
Enoshima 1998 ⓒ Eiichiro SAKATA