The average American takes 20 photos per day. This number is five in Europe but still represents a staggering five million photos taken every day. This is approximately 57,000 photos per second. In the time you took to read this article, there are already over a quarter million pictures. This is clearly a case where quantity is more important than quality.
Hiroshi Sugimoto, a Japanese photographer, has taken much more time to think about and create his work than these crazy numbers would suggest. In his highly regarded series Theaters, Sugimoto has focused his camera on the screen of a cinema.
He has managed to capture the entire motion picture by keeping the shutter open for the duration of the film. This image is of pure white light. These stunning scenes are architectural portraits that illuminate seats, aisles and plaster. The flightpaths are visible in the dark sky behind the screen when the drive-thrus is used.
Sugimoto has travelled the globe, both literally and artificially. Seascapes is a series of images in which the artist captures the sea, its horizon, and the sky at the same point in the image. He has used the same black-and-white composition for decades, but he’s achieved incredible variations through moonlight, mist weather, or even off-camera sunlight. The ten images on display, which span the English Channel and the Pacific Ocean, show the opposite of the white sea with a black sky. They are dark oceans with pale, overcast clouds.
The natural history dioramas, however, only seem to show exotic and distant lands. This series is a collection of traditional American museums. Sugimoto’s technique of using old film cameras and carefully lighting scenes has given life to these wax models. Sugimoto also reanimates Madame Tussauds wax models, ‘House of Horrors-style wax mannequins, and Princess Diana.
Hayward’s size allowed for a sensitive curation. The images are presented in a way that is not too distracting to the viewer. In most cases, the white walls allow for the best reading of the photos without the reflections of other artworks.
His exploration of mathematics led him to create physical concepts, which he then captured on film. Sugimoto’s insatiable curiosity should encourage us to keep learning new things and to continue to master the basics.
Creative Boom’s photography page is always popular. This medium is so popular because it’s ubiquitous and easy to use. When someone excels at this, they will show you new images.
Hiroshi is one of the greatest photographers in history. He has shared something new but timeless. His investigations have been both immediate and contemplative. Studying his work is a great way to learn. He describes himself as “the last black-and-white, conventional, and traditional photographer”. This is his biggest exhibition to date.