Exhibition/event has ended.

Masahisa Fukase "The Solitude of Ravens"

Rat Hole Gallery
Finished

Artists

Masahisa Fukase
Masahisa Fukase was born in 1934 in a photography museum dating from his grandfather's generation, situated in Nakagawagunbifukacho, Hokkaido. From a young age, Fukase became intimately acquainted with photography, and studied it at the art department of Nichidai Art University in an effort to follow in his father's footsteps. Influenced by the reportage style of photographers like Ken Domon, Fukase began taking photos of the old downtown shitamachi areas of Tokyo, getting published in photo magazines and attracting much acclaim. Upon graduation, in the middle of Japan's booming reconstruction period, Fukase found work at an advertising agency, pursuing a new aesthetic and sensibility in his own forays into photography, while also being involved in commercial work. The color and monochrome works in his first solo exhibition "Oil Refinery Skies" (1960), and the subsequent show "Kill The Pigs" (1961) had a two-part composition featuring the blood red scenery from a slaughterhouse and the yearning and pining of an older woman who has just given birth to a stillborn child - a challenging but highly-acclaimed collection of photos staring unflinchingly at life and death itself, one that was to determine the character and direction of Fukase's later work.
This exhibition was begun at the time of Fukase's separation from his wife Yoko, who inspired his seminal works "Play" (1971) and "Yoko" (1978). Taken on the night train back to his Hokkaido hometown in a bid to escape the crushing loneliness and the realization that his own personal vocation as photographer had somehow hurt his partner, these photos record the stern likenesses of ravens in this series, where Fukase's essence somehow still resides.
Over the 6 years until the "Tokyo" series, the scope of Fukase's creations was to expand considerably. This exhibition was put organized in an effort to shed more light on Fukase's comparatively earlier work. Although "Ravens" was previously held at the Nikon Salon in Tokyo in 1976, this showing of the work is the first in Japan since then. This exhibition has been made possible through the generous efforts o the estate of Masahisa Fukase, which has steadily offered its support since the artist's activities were abruptly stopped owing to an unforeseen incident.

Schedule

Sep 12 (Fri) 2008-Oct 12 (Sun) 2008 

Opening Hours Information

Hours
11:00-19:00
Closed
Monday, Sunday

Opening Reception Sep 12 (Fri) 2008 19:00 - 21:00

FeeFree
VenueRat Hole Gallery
LocationB1F, 5-5-3 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
Access5 minute walk from exit A5 at Omotesando Station on the Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda lines.
Phone03-6419-3581
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