The Particles Named Lee, Developed on Photographic Paper

The photographs exhibited in his previous solo show were, in a word, landscapes that evoked a sense of longing for those of us who grew up in Japan. In contrast, the “cherry blossoms” this time are a landscape very familiar to Japanese people. Therefore, some viewers might find them understated at first glance. However, the truly remarkable aspect common to all his works is not the theme, but his overwhelming “technique.”
The works on display this time were taken in various years, with some dating back to '79, but all the prints are new prints developed by Friedlander himself.

Not Punk or Heavy Metal, but the Finest Classical Music

The works in this exhibition are also very challenging in terms of size. Achieving such impact in a small format is not an easy feat, though it may seem understated. In music, it’s like the finest classical music, not punk or heavy metal.
The photographers who attended the reception all remarked, in unison, “How can he achieve such prints?” Yet, when viewed as a whole, the stress of darkroom work is invisible. So, I asked him, “How do you do it?” His answer was, “Make clean negatives.” In other words, you cannot make clean prints without clean negatives.

Of course, it’s possible to achieve certain effects in photography through darkroom work. However, this often results in stress, a kind of unrealistic impact. While this is accepted as part of each photographer's style, that’s not the case with Lee. When I asked, “Then, how do you make clean negatives?” his reply was again a single word: “Work! (Do it until you can do it!)” I thought, ‘He’s a true professional.’