Part 2: Encountering Daido Moriyama, An Impact

© DAIDO MORIYAMA

As I mentioned in the previous installment, on October 13th, the "RAT HOLE GALLERY" in Aoyama, Tokyo, finally celebrated its grand opening.

Currently, the first event being held is the "Daido Moriyama Photo Exhibition 'it'". In this installment, I'd like to talk about my encounter with Daido Moriyama and the publishing activities of HYSTERIC GLAMOUR that led to it.

Music that Transcended Photography,
Resonated in My Mind

HYSTERIC GLAMOUR began its publishing activities in 1987. Starting in 1991, we began releasing photo books under the name "hysteric," initially in an omnibus format featuring various artists.

It was around that time that I first encountered Moriyama's work. When I first saw his photographs, it felt as though music that transcended photography was resonating in my mind. Struck by the impact, I wanted him to participate in our photo books and reached out, but I was politely turned down at first.

However, after some time, Moriyama himself contacted me saying, "I'd be interested if it were a complete book," which led to the release of "hysteric no.4／Daido" (commonly known as "Blue Daido") in 1993. This marked the point where "hysteric" began to take the form of a photo book featuring a single artist. In that sense, the current format owes its existence to my encounter with Moriyama.

After that, in 1995, we released Moriyama's second book, "hysteric no.6／Daido" (commonly known as "Red Daido"). For both, he shot all the photographs over a period of about one to one and a half years. What was truly remarkable was that Moriyama and we, together, edited the photo books from an immense collection of photographs (more than double the number published) taken over that time, completing the approximately 400-page layout in a single night.

This is akin to a Beat Generation approach in literature, but we deliberately chose this method to create something that could only be achieved through a book, something distinct from a unique, one-off piece. We employed the same method for subsequent works. These experiences have become incredibly valuable to both the artists and us.

RAT HOLE GALLERY is
A Place to Link HYSTERIC and Art

Our full-scale photo book publishing activities began with that first session with Moriyama, and subsequently, these publications gained international acclaim. Interestingly, this also created a synergistic effect, making it easier to engage in discussions with overseas partners in the fashion realm.

However, until now, there was no specific place that linked fashion with art or publishing. In other words, with the establishment of RAT HOLE GALLERY, we finally have a venue that can connect these elements.
Additionally, for the "Daido Moriyama Photo Exhibition 'it'," a talk show with Moriyama is scheduled for October 21st (Saturday) at 4:00 PM. If you have the time, please do come and join us.

HYSTERIC GLAMOUR Official: http://www.hystericglamour.jp
Daido Moriyama Official: http://www.moriyamadaido.com
Bueno! Books: http://www.buenobooks.com

■ Daido Moriyama Exhibition "DAIDO MORIYAMA it"

Dates: Friday, October 13, 2006 – Sunday, November 19, 2006
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Closed Mondays)
Venue: RAT HOLE GALLERY
B1F, HYSTERIC GLAMOUR Aoyama Store, 5-5-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku
TEL: 03-6419-3581

● Talk Show Event
Saturday, October 21st, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Capacity: 80 people)
Daido Moriyama x Nobuhiko Kitamura @ RAT HOLE GALLERY

● Daido Moriyama Book Signing Event
Saturday, November 4th, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
For details, please visit www.ratholegallery.com.