Lounge
April 17, 2015
40th Daido Moriyama Solo Exhibition: Hokkaido (Part 4, Final)
RAT HOLE GALLERY
Daido Moriyama: Hokkaido - Part 4 (Final)
This is the final installment of our conversation with Daido Moriyama, which we've presented over the past three issues. The exhibition's final day, February 8th, is fast approaching. As we've mentioned, the photographs of Hokkaido were indeed taken 30 years ago. However, given that the selection and printing were done in 2008 by Moriyama himself, these are clearly not works solely from the past. If you haven't seen them yet, we highly recommend visiting, especially to experience this peculiar sense of time. They are, quite simply, 'amazing.' (Nobuhiko Kitamura)
Nobuhiko Kitamura / HYSTERIC GLAMOURPhoto by Jamandfixedit by TAKEUCHI Toranosuke(City Writes)
For me, Hokkaido was as foreign as Paris or New York
KitamuraStill, revisiting things you've accumulated after a long time has a peculiar effect, doesn't it? Even though it must have been a trip without a specific purpose or schedule, it somehow forms a complete story. Did you notice anything new while printing this time, Moriyama-san?
MoriyamaWhat struck me simply was that I photographed people more than I realized. And another thing, I thought there were many people in Hokkaido 30 years ago. Nowadays, outside of big cities like Sapporo, there are hardly any people. It makes me sad just to go there. Do you visit Hokkaido, Kitamura-san?
KitamuraBefore I started surfing, I used to go snowboarding there often, and last year I went surfing in Erimo Cape during the summer. For me, Hokkaido has a completely different image from living in the Kanto region. When I see the sea here and then vast grasslands there, it feels incredibly sophisticated.
MoriyamaDue to the latitude and other factors, it does resemble the landscapes of Northern Europe, doesn't it?
— Was that kind of thing a factor in your decision to go to Hokkaido 30 years ago?
MoriyamaHokkaido was a place I longed for since I was a child. The names Sapporo, Otaru, and Hakodate had almost the same resonance for me as Paris or New York. I dreamed of a world completely different from my daily life in the Showa era, and the illustrations and photographs I occasionally saw back then also looked foreign.
Hokkaido by Daido Moriyama: Neither Present Nor Past
— Kitamura-san, what do you hope visitors will feel from this exhibition?
KitamuraAbove all, it's just 'amazing,' isn't it? I'd like people to pay attention to how the 30-year time lag becomes a kind of magic. I think people will feel something even without explanation, but when you think about it, it's neither an exhibition of Hokkaido today nor of Hokkaido 30 years ago. The shutter was pressed 30 years ago, but I entered the darkroom in 2008. I don't think it would be like this with an exhibition of vintage prints.
MoriyamaI myself wasn't trying to search for past times in the darkroom this time, so it would naturally be completely different. Of course, what's actually captured is from 30 years ago, but I framed it entirely with my current sensibility. Photographic time is an interesting thing; when you step back and look, the actual time difference hardly matters. Essentially, no matter when something was shot, it acts as a point of connection between the past and the future. Even photos that feel nostalgic aren't just nostalgic; there's something interesting beyond that.
KitamuraYes, that's true. While it's Hokkaido from 30 years ago and people from 30 years ago captured here, it's hard to tell which era it is. Especially with your photos, Moriyama-san, I feel a sense of 'Moriyama's era.' Your current works, works from the 90s, and works from the 70s all seem to belong to the same period, in a good way.
MoriyamaPerhaps so.
KitamuraAlso, I always think, regardless of the era they were taken, Moriyama-san's photos of vehicles always give me a jolt. Whether it's a ship, a train, or a plane, they feel like something dramatic is about to happen. There are many vehicles in this exhibition too. Do you have any particular feelings about vehicles?
MoriyamaRegarding Hokkaido, although I now travel there by plane without any hesitation, back then I absolutely thought it wasn't a place to go by plane. It had to be by ferry. Taking the midnight train from Ueno, arriving in Tsugaru at 4 AM, and then reaching Sapporo at 10 AM.
KitamuraEven though it was the same distance, it must have felt much farther.
MoriyamaYes, it was a very distant place.
(End)
Daido Moriyama: Hokkaido
On display until Sunday, February 8, 2009
RAT HOLE GALLERY
12:00-20:00 (Closed Mondays)
RAT HOLE GALLERY & BOOKS
5-5-3-B1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-6419-3581
http://www.ratholegallery.com