Teenage Boys Cooler Than Adults

— Was the theme of Ukraine and teenagers something you had in mind from the beginning for this series?

I was interested in children who hadn't yet reached puberty, but I hadn't intended to photograph them. I actually visited three times. The first year was just a passing visit. I happened to meet some children there and spent about half a day with them. I felt I might regret it if I didn't photograph them, so I went back the following year. I visited once more after that, but I only took photos on two occasions.



— How did you communicate with the children you photographed?

I had an acquaintance who spoke Russian act as an interpreter.
It was through one of the boys I met on my first visit that I was able to return and connect with the children. From the second visit onwards, I timed my trips to coincide with their summer vacation and spent about a week with them. On the second trip, I even stayed at one of their homes.

Photography is a record, and meaning must be ascribed to its recordness.

— Could you elaborate on the idea that photography is a record?

About 20 years ago, I started using photography within the context of contemporary art. When considering how to engage with contemporary art, I believe that recording is the sole role of a photographer. The first task is to engage the viewer's eye, and then to convey that. My job, I feel, is to then stop there. If done incorrectly, it can fall apart.

An artist once showed me a photograph of a snowflake. I had the same image of a snowflake in my mind as that artist, but I believe that artist would then add layers of meaning to it. However, since I am not an artist, I thought deeply about what I should do with that photograph, how it should be handled. And I felt that I had to stop there. With my current work, too, I can only bring back photographs of the children and show them to people. I think I am a liberal presence for the children. It's a point of divergence between the viewer and the subject; I am on the viewer's side.

A long time ago, Ken Domon and Ihei Kimura were discussing stones. Ken Domon imbued stones with spirituality. On the other hand, Ihei Kimura argued that since photography captures a moment in 1/500th of a second, a stone is just a stone even when photographed. For me, both aspects are important.



— I see. Does the subject of your records constantly change?

Until about two or three years ago, I was photographing Shinjuku. Then, I suddenly realized I was photographing Shinjuku as someone from Tokyo.
I grew up in a part of Hokkaido where development was slow. At 19, I saw real paintings, visited art fairs in New York, and before I knew it, I was critiquing artworks.
That felt very strange, and I came to believe that everything that has captivated me, from my childhood to seeing art in New York, has influenced me.
Now I want to take astrophotographs, and I'd also like to photograph in Ireland. It's almost absurd how disparate these interests are, but I think there's a coherence when I look back on my life. I myself want the subjects I photograph to always change. I believe it's enough if there's a continuous thread within me, regardless of the subject matter, so that my own work, and existing works, don't become references.

— We look forward to seeing what kind of photographic world you will create. Thank you very much.

Thank you.



Osamu WATAYA
Born in Hokkaido in 1963, lives in Tokyo. Since 1989, he has directed numerous photo books published by Hysteric Glamour and RAT HOLE GALLERY as an art director. In 2006, he received the 22nd Higashikawa Award Special Prize. Major solo exhibitions include "Rumor/pond" (08/ RAT HOLE GALLERY). Major photo books include "River Bed" (96/Hysteric Glamour), "Engaru" (96/Taka Ishii Gallery), "Renoir" (98/Hysteric Glamour), "Hirugao" (04/Sokyu-sha), "Rumor" (07/RAT HOLE), "CHILDHOOD" (10/RAT HOLE GALLERY), among others.