Hiroshi Sugimoto
31 Mar - 01 Jul 2012
© Hiroshi Sugimoto
Earliest Human Relatives, 1994
gelatin silver print
64.7 x 89.5 cm
Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
Earliest Human Relatives, 1994
gelatin silver print
64.7 x 89.5 cm
Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi
HIROSHI SUGIMOTO
From naked to clothed
31 March – 1 July, 2012
"The history of clothing as old as humanity itself" -- Hiroshi Sugimoto
The fashions of Gabrielle Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Rei Kawakubo and other seminal designers of the 20th century are captured on film in Hiroshi Sugimoto's Stylized Sculpture series, the centerpiece of an exhibition that asks the question: What does it mean to be clothed?
The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is proud to present a solo exhibition by the contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.
In his explorations of the medium of photography, Sugimoto has won international acclaim for his many works that shine light on the human race and the world. We live in an age of easy alteration or retouching of images through digital technology. Prior to the digital age, however, Sugimoto had come to the realization that the photograph was a thing of fiction and had investigated the essential nature of the human eye by capturing the world through the camera's eye. His subtle black-and-white photographs are backed by artist's penetrating ideas and superb technique, and his unrivaled images mesmerize the viewer.
At the center of this exhibition is the photographic series Stylized Sculpture, which showcases the fashion of such seminal 20th century designers as Gabrielle Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. This series reflects the vision of the artist who sees the history of clothing as "being as old as that of humanity itself, " and who equates the human body clothed in "artificial skin" as "modern sculpture. " In these images, each of which was photographed on carefully selected mannequins instead of live models, the series hints at the significance that clothing has for humans and delves into the relationship between clothes and the human race.
In addition to this series, selections from Sugimoto's Dioramas and Portraits series are included to further delineate the history of the human race along the lines of the exhibition's theme. Interwoven with these are Sugimoto's design work for the Bunraku puppet theater and costume design for Noh theater, as well as selected items from the artist's personal art collection, which together comprise clues to decipher the human body and what it means to be clothed from Sugimoto's very special perspective.
Hiroshi Sugimoto was born and raised in the old downtown area of Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from the faculty of politics and sociology at Rikkyō University in Tokyo. In 1974, he received his BFA in Fine Arts at the Art Center College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Afterwards, Sugimoto settled in New York City. As a contemporary artist, he has held solo exhibitions at major art museums throughout the world. In 2009, he founded the New Material Research Laboratory in Tokyo and helped design the Izu Photo Museum, which opened in Nagaizumi, Shizuoka prefecture. In 2011, the Odawara Art Foundation, which Sugimoto founded, was authorized as a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation. In the same year, Sugimoto Bunraku: Sonezaki Shinju Tsuketari Kannon Meguri ("Kannon Pilgrimage" from The Love Suicide at Sonezaki) was presented at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre (KAAT) as part of its activities. His many honors include the Mainichi Art Prize in 1988; an honorary doctorate from the Parsons School of Design, New York in 2000; the 21st Praemium Imperiale in 2009; and the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon in 2010. His publications include Rikishi no Riskishi (New Material Research Laboratory), Kuukankan--Sense of Space (Magazine House) and Utsutsu Na Zou (Shincho-sha).
From naked to clothed
31 March – 1 July, 2012
"The history of clothing as old as humanity itself" -- Hiroshi Sugimoto
The fashions of Gabrielle Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent, Rei Kawakubo and other seminal designers of the 20th century are captured on film in Hiroshi Sugimoto's Stylized Sculpture series, the centerpiece of an exhibition that asks the question: What does it mean to be clothed?
The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is proud to present a solo exhibition by the contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto.
In his explorations of the medium of photography, Sugimoto has won international acclaim for his many works that shine light on the human race and the world. We live in an age of easy alteration or retouching of images through digital technology. Prior to the digital age, however, Sugimoto had come to the realization that the photograph was a thing of fiction and had investigated the essential nature of the human eye by capturing the world through the camera's eye. His subtle black-and-white photographs are backed by artist's penetrating ideas and superb technique, and his unrivaled images mesmerize the viewer.
At the center of this exhibition is the photographic series Stylized Sculpture, which showcases the fashion of such seminal 20th century designers as Gabrielle Chanel, Yves Saint-Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. This series reflects the vision of the artist who sees the history of clothing as "being as old as that of humanity itself, " and who equates the human body clothed in "artificial skin" as "modern sculpture. " In these images, each of which was photographed on carefully selected mannequins instead of live models, the series hints at the significance that clothing has for humans and delves into the relationship between clothes and the human race.
In addition to this series, selections from Sugimoto's Dioramas and Portraits series are included to further delineate the history of the human race along the lines of the exhibition's theme. Interwoven with these are Sugimoto's design work for the Bunraku puppet theater and costume design for Noh theater, as well as selected items from the artist's personal art collection, which together comprise clues to decipher the human body and what it means to be clothed from Sugimoto's very special perspective.
Hiroshi Sugimoto was born and raised in the old downtown area of Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from the faculty of politics and sociology at Rikkyō University in Tokyo. In 1974, he received his BFA in Fine Arts at the Art Center College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Afterwards, Sugimoto settled in New York City. As a contemporary artist, he has held solo exhibitions at major art museums throughout the world. In 2009, he founded the New Material Research Laboratory in Tokyo and helped design the Izu Photo Museum, which opened in Nagaizumi, Shizuoka prefecture. In 2011, the Odawara Art Foundation, which Sugimoto founded, was authorized as a Public Interest Incorporated Foundation. In the same year, Sugimoto Bunraku: Sonezaki Shinju Tsuketari Kannon Meguri ("Kannon Pilgrimage" from The Love Suicide at Sonezaki) was presented at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre (KAAT) as part of its activities. His many honors include the Mainichi Art Prize in 1988; an honorary doctorate from the Parsons School of Design, New York in 2000; the 21st Praemium Imperiale in 2009; and the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon in 2010. His publications include Rikishi no Riskishi (New Material Research Laboratory), Kuukankan--Sense of Space (Magazine House) and Utsutsu Na Zou (Shincho-sha).