I
was flicking through some book reviews, when
I came across one about Daido Moriyama's new book 'Record' known as
Kiroku in Japanese. It is the collection of the first 30 issues of
his personal magazine dating back to 1970s. Basically it chronicles
his image making and some thoughts over the time period.
After
reading the revue I had an irresistible feeling that I should obtain
a copy. Although I am interested in Japanese photography I cannot say
I know anything about Moriyama's work apart from he is a street
photographer, which has a strong appeal.
When
you open the book you are presented with silky smooth gloss white
pages that keeps you in suspense as Mark Holborn introduces you to
Daido Moriyama and sets the stage for the images to come.
Wow!
And what a shock they are! pulling no punches in their very high
contrast look making full use of the term black and white. It takes
time for your eyes to adjust to the rich black, making it difficult
to see what the images are about. This is partly because these images
are made on film at night without the use of flash making them very
grainy. This graininess has been translated to the gloss pages by the
printing technique making the pages gritty to the touch and adding a
textural impact to the pictures.
He
does not just use monochrome film there are some magazines in colour
where he plays with the vibrancy of the colour.
For
a book that I decided to obtain on a whim, I have been very impressed
by the images within. Yes the blackness, odd angles and graininess of
the images are an assault on your sensibility's but that is what
makes his work different.
It
is a book to be enjoyed at leisure over many days and not all at
once.
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