Setting Sun (2)

Not surprisingly Nobuyuyoshi Araki dominates this book I'm reading, 'Setting Sun - writings by Japanese photographers'. Some photographers are quietly subtle, not Araki.

Here are some juicy bits.

"As a photographer I am confidence, overconfident - abundant - sensation, constipation sensation." - Photographic discourse at a strip show

There are quite a few self references to his own intelligence and genius:

"Why does the morning of a hangover have to be nice weather? The strong autumn sunrays hit my intelligent head and double my headache." - Photo apparatus between man and woman

"As usual I have got a hangover. My intelligent head is throbbing." - My father's lover, or, an introduction to portrait photography

Relationship politics behind the scenes of a strip show. Apparently Rika was sleeping with her sisters boyfriend, and, by the sounds of it, Araki himself. Her sister, Komadayu, tolerated it but couldn't handle it. Obviously Rika could.

"The adorable Rika, who squealed as we got into the bath together, who was so shy (yeah, right!) - women are more terrifying than photography." Photographic discourse at a strip show

Stuff-it to silent shutters and invisible masters:

"Even when I take photographs on the street, I don't hide the fact that I'm shooting. Until the person notices that her photograph is being taken, there's no motivation to release the shutter." - Photographic discourse at a strip show

Araki believes himself to be an advocate of anything woman:

"If you photograph 'something' amazing. it'll be an amazing photograph. That's obvious. In which case, the people being shot, must have something amazing for the photograph. They make big effort, women do. I cheer them on. A photographer is the cheering section for a woman's moan, and her slave." Photographic discourse at a strip show

There are couple of references to his desire to touch his dead mothers breast - can't quite work that one out myself. Also he wished he could photograph her at the funeral but received 'suspicious' looks from his relatives. Here he speaks of the phone call that informed him of his mother's death:

"I'm always up before my wife and am idle - I tooled around with my dick, as I usually do, and thought about my Mother. And yes my premonition was on the mark. The phone's ring was like a cry." - My Mother's Death, or An Introduction to Family Photography

Here's an earlier post on Araki with links to images etc.

Submitted by Philip Cartland on 7 March 2006 - 12:00am.