Title: Report on the Grand Prize Selection Open-Committee Meeting of New Cosmos of Photography 2008 (31st competition)
Comments judges
Okabe Tokyo
Enomoto : “Yosshi’s proliferating images were disgusting and I could not look away (laughs). The greatest expectation I have for photos is how far new expressions can be developed using the technology of photography. I could feel his desire to attempt to photograph something that could not be photographed.”
Araki : “He photographed something unexplainably interesting. I like “500 Arhats” and this work is just like that. It is possible to feel many different profound things from the Arhats. Those kind of things show in this work. They really do. That is really good.”
Kohei Koyama
Nanjo : “In some ways all photos lie, however, in this work also there is the intent to create something that is not really there. It is black and white, and even though there is the feeling of a classic atmosphere, it is not really. I find this coming and going interesting.”
Enomoto : “I identified with the fact that photos are a type of creation. With this work, I felt that he was just trying to create mysterious scenes from photos with no people in them. I think it might have been better if there was something like people or other living creatures in the photos to act as intermediates and give them a natural and imaginative story.”
Kenya Sugai
Omori : “Whether it is good or the fact that it is not good at all is amazing. I felt that he is walking on a thin line. I got the impression that this work was necessary for Sugai. I probably could not feel happy looking at it. However, it has the appeal of a work that the artist just had to create. I got the impression that these were not typical photos. Instead, these works were like a come-from-behind home run.”
Noguchi : “Ever since the Excellence Award selection committee meeting I have been interested in Sugai’s work. At that time I felt there was something sinister and ended up not selecting him. This time, however, his presentation was different. I am the type that presents by projection rather than exhibition, and I feel that the appeal of Sugai’s was communicated better this way.”
Masanori Hata
Noguchi : “At the Excellence Award selection committee meeting, Sugai had a great number of photographic print works, and their texture and graphic feeling left an impression on me. The surprise “What is this?” that I felt when I first saw his work remains even today, and I am very interested to see what direction it will go. The vulgarity in this work is something that does not appear in my own work, and I even feel something like admiration.”
Iizawa : “It is like nothing I have ever seen-kind of fresh, and strangely shocking. There are various factors involved in creating works like this, and by coming this far these works project a sense of mystery as to how they were created. He said that there was no concept, but I think it can be said that this is the concept itself. I would like to see him continue with confidence.”
Ayano Hoya
Araki : “I like a woman with this kind of sensitivity (laughs). The work is even more interesting than the explanation. I think it would be better left mysterious rather than explained.”
Nanjo : “Whether or not the talk on her work was persuasive or not, I think that her character shows in her work. I could tell that there was a gap and deviation between what she wanted to say and what she was able to express. However, I think her playfulness was interesting.”
Miyuki Motoki
Iizawa : “Even in the real world, there are some parts remaining hidden that we cannot see. I think one of the great possibilities of photos is that they can express these things by suggesting: “This is a way of looking at it.” By being so bold as to include works with just a frame in her exhibition, this gave me a variety of things to think about. By shooting a photo of a cow living on the farm where her mother grew up, with this necessary connection, I think it was very important in finding this theme.”
Omori : “ I think that “something not normal” exists here, however, and I think that maybe Motoki is still feeling some kind of doubt. And, I feel that thinking about these things is a good idea.”
