The 2nd Exhibition of New Cosmos of Photography 1993
Report on the open-selection meetings
Public selection : Nov.12.1993 (FRI)
An open-selection meeting to decide the 1993 grand prize winner from twelve excellent work award winners of the 5th-8th, contests was held at the venue of the second exhibition of “New Cosmos of Photography,” at P3, auditorium of Tochoji Temple in Yotsuya, Tokyo. The nominees gave their displays and presentations, and the panel of judges composed of Nobuyoshi Araki, Kotaro Iizawa, and Fumio Nanjo conducted the selection. While many visitors watched, Ayako Ichikawa was selected as the grand prize winner.
Overall Evaluation
At the 2nd open-selection meeting of “New Cosmos of Photography,” the winning works of the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th contests were evaluated.
Overview of the 5th selection
Nobuyoshi Araki , Kotaro Iizawa , Fumio Nanjo
Nanjo:
I come every time expecting to see something different. Today, too, I’ve found entries worthy of my expectations.
Iizawa:
I enjoy seeing the regular entrants growing very fast.
Nanjo:
I assume that the number of people who realize what they aspire to make and try to express it is increasing.
Araki:
Women are really good. Both as models and photographers - women are good. Now men can no longer work except as producers.
Also the awarded work of Mogi gives an impression that her emotion, inner feelings and almost her subcutaneous tissue is revealed. It is no good to play games with composition.
Nanjo:
My concern is that as a whole the entries are in comfortable shape. Recklessness is necessary somewhere, I think.
Iizawa:
Additionally, it is obvious that many works are graphically processed with coloring, cutting, or collages. If the original image of a work is not strong enough, such elaborateness will attract attention and consequently, it will give a shallow impression. They should be careful about using showy graphical techniques, because they are likely to be a double-edged sword.
Araki:
If they start with not the act of photographing but the photographed picture, and they take pictures so as to make them their materials for a work later, their pictures become unimpressive. The power and emotion at the time of photographing are too important to be neglected. They should face the subject and tackle with it. It is essential to spend time and effort first at the time of taking pictures as much as at the time of showing them.
Iizawa:
Right. I would like to see pictures that are not going away from photography but going beyond it.
Overview of the 6th selection
Iizawa:
As a whole, many works show a higher level of quality, though the number of entries has slightly decreased this time. I’m pleased to see them try to win the competition through the contents of their works, not through presentation alone.
Nanjo:
The works, as a whole, seem to have become more conservative. Probably the prize-winning works selected last November influenced them. I would like to see more powerful works.
Araki:
They should make something rash. That’s why New Cosmos of Photography exists. Nonetheless, I tend to choose something conservative.
Nanjo:
I said “powerful,” which means that when one’s inner life or identity reveals itself in an open and honest way, the work will have a strong effect. Then I feel the artists’ ideas and their personalities come into my view.
Araki:
When the artist’s true character is revealed straightforwardly, it attracts our attention; he might be horny, weird, or mad. I choose a work that shows the artist’s straight feelings. The good works I have chosen are all by perverts. I selected Kinjo, because her feelings are genuinely expressed. I feel that she is a good person. She expresses her own feelings and at the same time the model’s feelings, too. I’ve been photographing in sunny places for my recent work “Tokyo-biyori,” and I’ve found myself going back to the starting point of photography. I feel as if I am going into light, seeing light, or am wrapped up in light. I think what is most important in photography is to wrap the subject in genuine soft light. Kinjo has an eye for gentle light. Her photo gives the impression that the person photographed wants to cherish her image in the picture. That’s good. Her friend next to her must be a muse.
Iizawa:
There are many album entries as usual. As I said before, merely putting together image fragments makes works unimpressive. I want to feel artist’s presence and inevitability of linkages among images.
Araki:
Young people had better not listen to the judges. If they did, they would become conservative. Anyway, I would suggest that they make something rash.
Overview of the 7th selection
Nobuyoshi Araki
This time I’ve chosen a work that makes us think of death. The work of Ichikawa, the winner, is just that, and there are some others that remind us of “higan” (the other world in Buddhist thought) in their tone and colors. Thanatos exists in Eros, and how they mix is pretty good. Nevertheless, it is neither dark nor dismal. When looking at pictures, I don’t like those that make both the photographed and the viewers feel unhappy and dismayed. Such photos used to be called reportage or documentary. I don’t feel like making a documentary in that sense.
Kotaro Iizawa
As there was a decrease in the number of entrants from last time, I was a little worried, but this time, I can say that it was the most substantial contest so far. There are few works that are no good in any way, while entries above the good work level are in keen competition. I hope that this growth will continue. I have my doubts about the same entrants turning in plural works, each of which is of different style. I understand that they want to express themselves all together, but on the contrary, I’m afraid that it may show their lack of confidence. I would suggest that they try to fight with the works in which they have most confidence.
Fumio Nanjo
I saw some works incorporating new ideas, and I enjoyed looking through them. It is true that works without originality but tired concepts have also increased. In addition, while shabby or carelessly prepared presentations have decreased, skillfully bound albums and framed works have also increased. If they love what they have made, they have should have such delicacy and sensitivity. When the method of expression does not go well with the contents, it is difficult to evaluate a work. It may not be appreciated today, but I hope that the artist will rise to the challenge to develop it further.
Overview of the 8th selection
Araki:
Three-dimensional objects are now entitled to citizenship as a way of showing photographs. This time, however, the entries are too sophisticated, aren’t they? There were more absurdly wild works before.
Iizawa:
The quality level is completely stable now. The gap between works above and below the good work level is narrowing. The accumulation of two years experience has become obvious.
Nanjo:
When they enter a competition, their works are exposed to the public. So, while they work, they think about how viewers will see their works.
Iizawa:
Exactly. It also applies to criticism. Being exposed to public eyes becomes a great experience for a critic.
Nanjo:
It’s true that such works as school children’s handicrafts have decreased, while the quality level has gone up, but the entries have become so comfortably neat, I’m afraid. It’s not exciting to see works leveled off.
Araki:
They should go back to their naughty childhood. Interesting photos can be made when something like an aura or impulsiveness at the moment of pressing the shutter is really fixed. Now is the time of the un-usual – not usual after all. The epitaph on Ozu’s grave is “nothing,” but now what’s in is un-xxx. Nothing is only too empty. It is too much a matter of course to view life as transitory. I expect death, but don’t want to be nothing, or don’t want to make myself nothing. I would like to see the usual plus something that is un usual in pictures, not the simple usualness.
Iizawa:
The participants in the first photo exhibition held in the fall last year, including Yuki Onodera, Iori Kinoshita, Yoshinori Kon, Tetsuya Chiba, Hiroyuki Tanino, and Hiroshi Nomura, are actively giving solo and group exhibitions, or decorating book covers. I hope that each of the twelve artists who are going to participate in the photo exhibition this time will be independent as photographers. I would support them as much as I can. I’m pleased to learn that award winners are taking part in contests repeatedly. I can make overall evaluations of the works by Ayako Mogi, Tamiko Kinjo, and Ayako Ichikawa, for example, including their previous works. I can tell that, as for the number of entrants, there are far more men than women, but women photographers are amazing indeed.
Araki:
We are now in the women’s age. The attractiveness of photography has shifted to something like the photographer’s life or physiological factor. In that case, I’m sure that women are far more interesting. Their sensitivity and feelings are responsive.
Iizawa:
A woman’s life experience is richer. And, the works of those in their 40s and 50s, Toshio Endo and Hirosuke Doi, for example, are also good. It seems that various restrictions and pressures can help them produce better work. Young people seldom have such obstacles.
Nanjo:
Today, there are conflicts and problems of different kinds, and everyone seems to run into those walls. But, it is difficult for young people to have an insight into them, so they are directed by ideologies. On the other hand, middle-aged people see through the problems, so they are down to earth.
Iizawa:
The range of entrants of New Cosmos of Photography spreading both regionally and age-wise, and their works are getting more interesting.
