No. 8: Nobuyoshi Araki's Photographs and My Harvest

From "Flowers and Yamolinsky." © NOBUYOSHI ARAKI

Araki and Bob Dylan

I felt the true brilliance of Araki through his works, "Kinbaku Shaken," currently exhibited at Rat Hole Gallery, and "Tokyo Jinsei," which I saw at the Edo-Tokyo Museum—works that could be considered polar opposites. This autumn, I had a similar experience in the world of music.

To be honest, I hadn't really listened to Bob Dylan's music closely before. Of course, I'd heard his songs often in the past, but due to his image as a folk icon, I never actively sought out his work.

However, at the Primal Scream live performance this September, I was captivated by the song Bobby played in the dressing room to "get pumped up." It turned out to be Bob Dylan from 1965. I knew that Dylan had suddenly taken up the electric guitar and played rock around 1965-66, but I never realized how incredibly cool it was.

Perhaps there's a right time to discover things. Young Araki and Dylan in 1965. I wondered why I hadn't noticed them sooner, and I felt truly fortunate to have rediscovered the genius of these two artists. It was a significant harvest.

From "Flowers and Yamolinsky." © NOBUYOSHI ARAKI

"Kinbaku Shaken" is Araki's Ultimate

Returning to Araki, seeing "Kinbaku Shaken" after experiencing "Tokyo Jinsei" offers a different perspective.

Depending on the viewer, it might initially appear as a "foul play," much like Picasso's Cubism. However, just as with Picasso, "Kinbaku" is by no means a foul. It's built upon a solid foundation, leading to this point. In that sense, while it's not the absolute end, it undoubtedly represents an ultimate form. Please take your time and immerse yourself in it.

■ Nobuyoshi Araki Exhibition

Dates: November 22, 2006 (Wed) – December 27, 2006 (Wed)
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Closed Mondays)
Venue: RAT HOLE GALLERY
B1F, HYSTERIC GLAMOUR Aoyama, 5-5-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku
TEL: 03-6419-3581

Content: The exhibition comprises four series: "Flowers and Yamolinsky," "LOVE," "Kinbaku Shaken," and "ARAKINEMA."
Concurrently, the latest series of "ARAKINEMA" (the cinematic version of Araki's photography), "Kinbaku Shokuin," created with "Kinbaku Shaken" as its motif, will be exhibited for the first time.
Alongside the exhibition, the photobook "LOVE by Leica" and T-shirts featuring original drawings will be available for purchase.

RAT HOLE GALLERY: http://www.ratholegallery.com
HYSTERIC GLAMOUR Official: http://www.hystericglamour.jp
Bueno! Books: http://www.buenobooks.com