Risaku Suzuki
dal 26/4/2006 al 23/6/2006
Segnalato da
26/4/2006
Risaku Suzuki
Yoshii Gallery, New York
Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), an exhibition of untitled works by the Japanese photographer. His painterly photographs evoke the sensation of passing time within the permanence of the photographic frame. Suzuki captures the trees without a context or narrative, grasping the physical structure as the essence of the symbolism.
“While we might associate a camera with a permanent view, Suzuki reminds us how quickly all is transformed. In Suzuki’s color views, the timelessness of a photograph and the passing time of reality are brought extremely close together. We look at what we know is no longer there."
-John Yau
Yoshii Gallery New York is pleased to announce “Risaku Suzuki: Sakura," an exhibition of untitled works by the Japanese photographer. Sakura, Japanese for cherry blossoms, is the first solo show for Suzuki at an American commercial gallery. On display will be eight C-prints photographed in 2002, four measuring 32 x 40 inches, and four measuring 47 1/2 x 61 inches.
The Sakura Celebration commences in early spring and has inspired artists since the reign of the Emperor Saga in 8th century Japan. The impressive blooming of the trees after winter symbolizes hope and strength, but as the petals fall, one is reminded of the fragility of beauty and life itself. Suzuki’s painterly photographs evoke the sensation of passing time within the permanence of the photographic frame. Suzuki captures the trees without a context or narrative, grasping the physical structure as the essence of the symbolism. The viewer is engaged with a place beyond the visible.
By abandoning the ground and concentrating on the relationship between the blossoms and the sky, the works possess a weightless and effervescent air. Tight framing and large format printing eliminate the distraction of neighboring objects, yet maintain a vast landscape for the viewer. Attention is called to the world of motion beyond the frame, intimately connecting the photograph to an individual’s wandering gaze. The focus is pulled from various branches to clusters of flowers and clouds, granting the viewer an opportunity to ruminate on a fleeting moment. Memorializing the perspective of a quick glance enables one to glimpse with a duration and depth impossible to realize in person.
Risaku Suzuki was born in 1963 in the Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. He received his degree from the Research Department of the Tokyo College of Photography in 1987. In addition to gallery exhibitions across Japan, Suzuki’s photographs have been exhibited at various venues across the globe including Camera Austria-Kunsthaus Graz, Austria, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. The artist currently lives and works in Tokyo.
A fully illustrated catalogue with an essay by film director Seijun Suzuki will be available upon request.
Yoshii Gallery
17 East 76th Street New York, NY 10021
Hours: 10am to 6pm, Monday through Saturday