Seen: ARAKI Nobuyoshi: Sentimental Journey 1971- 2017-
Who: Nobuyoshi Araki
Where: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
When: Jul. 25—Sep. 24, 2017
Sentimental Journey and photos of his wife, Yoko, are the the essential approaches to understanding Araki’s outlook on life and photography. They’re certainly my favorite of his output.
This exhibition is his first in the entire twenty years this photographic museum has been open in Tokyo- the content is smartly edited and an encounter with these pictures is a thoroughly moving affair. A majority of the work is taped directly to the walls- removing a layer of glass between the photograph allows deeper engagement for the viewer.
The press tour which preceded the show’s opening reception was, personally, one of the most incredible photographic experiences I’ve ever had. Standing there as Araki spoke at length on Sentimental Journey felt like a dream. He peppered his speech with puns and anecdotes which garnered a bit of laughter from those in attendance. The collective emotional pressure that built while in the Winter Journey room, combined with Araki’s concordant commentary, ended with a heartfelt sigh as the photographer moved on to the next room.
On the way back to the station after today’s press tour of the new Araki show at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, I was talking with a photo critic about how misconstrued, or at least how limited, Araki is viewed in the west- I pointed out that hashtag searches on Instagram from Araki’s full name in English and Japanese pull up surprisingly different results. This misunderstanding by both his foreign fans and detractors, fails to affect Araki and Japan’s celebration of his work.
This year, Araki’s 77th, has already seen several exhibitions- Sentimental Journey 1971- 2017- is the must-see one of 2017. I’ll be making more than a few visits back before it closes.