New Cosmos of Photography 2012 Grand Prize selection committee meeting report
[ Excellence Award winners’ presentations, and judges’ comments ]
Robin Haseba: “THE JAPANESE BEACH -SUMA-”
I was able to take some outstanding “HAPPY!” photos. In my job I have been shooting advertising photos for about 10 years, and I have learned the importance of creating the atmosphere of the location. Also, being born and raised in Osaka, I find really interesting things are cool, within the interestingness there is coolness, and that is what I was looking for when I shot the photos. My theme this time, “Kansai,” speaks for itself. I have photographed people at Suma beach in Kobe for the last five years. It is said that all of the Kansai area is made up of funny men and straight men (comedy terms). The people that get together are a group of individuals. Me photographing, and the people being photographed all laugh. In the middle of the beach I set up a comedy theater white backdrop and took photos while shouting: “dLet’s go! That’s great!”
Noi Sawaragi : The people’s expressions and movements are powerful, and I can feel the energy that the area has, and the strength hidden within the people. It was probably a good idea to shoot intuitively, without thinking. As the exhibit was in a cylindrical shape, it is unfortunate that the photos got smaller. I think it would have been better if it was larger, and you could see the faces and individuality of each person.
Minoru Shimizu : You said you made a stage, however, the act of pointing the camera and putting a person in the frame itself has the same result as putting a person on a stage. There is no way to escape from that stage. However, by creating a stage in addition to the one inside the camera already, Haseba created a way for the subjects to escape. And, those people are interacting with the high tension of the photographer. As people from Kansai are easygoing, if you play the straight man, they are sure to play the funny man as well. As they tend to do this, I don’t think their true appeal is being captured. I don’t really think the white backdrop was necessary. These are interesting images of selected Kansai people photographed over a five-year period, and as you will not grow tired of looking at these photos, I feel it is a bit unfortunate.
HIROMIX : This was a very refreshing piece, and looking at it can cheer you up. From the people’s expressions, when a pro photographs them, it is apparent that they are genuinely happy. You should think of everyone’s criticisms as pep talks to make things better.
Yuki Hamanaka: “Life of Silence”
With this title, I wanted to photograph a wide range of subjects as an infinite variety of life stories. Nowadays, with all the artificial colors, and designs that try to appeal to people’s emotions, I wonder where you can find beauty in the form of pure life. When I was wondering about this, it occurred to me that plant life is a pure form of life that is not affected by humans.
As I live in Kyoto, I have lots of opportunities to see forms of expression that place importance on space such as ikebana and stone gardens, so I wanted to realize Japan’s true beauty like the life of plants encircled in those spaces. I chose cloudy days for shooting, and with regard for the artistic beauty of the spaces themselves, I expressed the appearance of life as it dances in cloudy white skies. Also, by printing on Ise washi paper (Japanese paper), it expresses the rawness of trees with an appropriate thickness and roughness.
HIROMIX : The fact that you like nature, and are touched by it is apparent in what you photographed. When I looked at this piece, I was impressed by the beauty, and I also felt a sense of relief. This is because from ancient times in Japan and Asia, it is accepted that we believe the most basic of basics is beautiful. I have heard that Japan’s beauty is in demand again. Particularly since the earthquake, I feel that everyone wants to see things that are gentle and warm.
Katsumi Omori : The desire for beautiful things, and the experience of looking at something beautiful and having it move your soul is important, and it should be a prerequisite when creating things. However, expressions such as “the beauty of pure life” and “the real beauty of Japan” are dubious to me. I am at a loss as to how to accept them. I would prefer to see “the beauty of an impure life.” When the world is in difficult times, if could speak frankly, I feel that “the beauty of Japan’ and “pure life” are too optimistic.
Noi Sawaragi : When I saw this piece, I really liked it. The contents of the presentation, however, were unexpected. Roadside trees have been exposed to car exhausts, and they are an aspect of life that has been forcibly suppressed by the transportation system. Amongst all this, impure beauty is expressed, and if there was some beauty in this artificially constructed nature, it would give me pause to think, however, if I was asked whether this was Japan's real beauty or pure life, I would not really know.
