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February 4, 2015
INTERVIEW | Photographer Kiyohide Hori on the Release of His Photobook 'Inumaruke: Dogs...anywhere'
INTERVIEW｜Photographer Kiyohide Hori
Photo Book "Inumaruke: Dogs...anywhere" Released
Kiyohide Hori is a photographer whose work garners significant attention, having contributed to prestigious magazines such as "CASA BRUTUS," "GQ JAPAN," and "SWITCH," as well as advertising campaigns for major corporations like Fuji Television, BEAMS, IDEE, and Daiwa House. He has also created CD jackets for numerous musicians, including those from Sony Music Associated Records, Toshiba EMI, avex, Universal Music, and Victor Entertainment. Armed with a sensibility honed in New York, Hori has now released his photo book, "Inumaruke: Dogs...anywhere." We spoke with Hori himself about the book's appeal, from the behind-the-scenes of the shoots to the emotions poured into his work.
Text by OPENERS
A Self-Portrait of Kiyohide Hori's "Now"
──What was the inspiration behind this project?
While working on the catalog for "WISH...original," ideas kept coming to me during the location shoot. It was so much fun that I casually asked the president of the company that imports these door stoppers, "How about we create a photo book and hold an exhibition?" To my surprise, he immediately agreed, saying, "Let's do it!" That's how it all began.
──What is the meaning behind the title "Inumaruke"?
It means "full of dogs" in the Nagoya dialect (laughs). I projected myself onto these immobile dogs. This is a self-portrait of Kiyohide Hori's "now." My goal was to create a story where my own narrative wouldn't be overshadowed by the dogs' characters. In a way, the dogs are like celebrities. I approached the shoot just as I would with my usual work involving people. During the shoot, I was constantly asking myself, "Where do these dogs want to be taken?" (laughs).
Ultimately, it was where I wanted to go. For example, thinking, "I haven't traveled abroad lately," I photographed airplanes. Or, contemplating how to feel a universal order beyond societal rules, I carried a celestial globe to the top of a mountain. The cover photo, by the way, was taken at the Yokohama Archives of History, a designated Important Cultural Property. The rest is a secret. The most challenging part was the editing. Selecting just 48 pages from nearly 700 photos was quite difficult (laughs).
──What is your favorite shot?
That's a tough question... It feels like being asked who my favorite ex-girlfriend is (laughs). But if I had to choose, the photo of the dog in the black leather is a strong reflection of my current self.
──Why is that?
"Black" has always been a key color for expressing myself through photography. Think about what comes to mind when you associate things with black. For me, it's darkness that rejects even light, the color that's hardest to dye, formlessness yet strong individuality, stubbornness, and so on... Since I started photography, I've been telling stories of people in black fedoras and black attire. In the endpapers of the photo book, there's actually a dog wearing a black fedora. This is the only dog in the book that is found amidst human garbage or in a harsh environment. It represents my own susceptibility to external influences, my tendency to waver, but ultimately overcoming it!
This dog embodies my wish to give myself the feeling I had when I first managed to do a backward roll on the monkey bars in elementary school.
──Feathers are used effectively; what do they symbolize?
A kite dropped a feather during the shoot. At that moment, Neil Young's song "BIRDS" came to mind. My memory might be a bit hazy, but there's a line that goes something like, "When you try to take flight on your own, feathers drift down and show you the way." That's why I wanted to use these feathers symbolically.
I created a narrative where the dogs escape from an exhibition and venture into, discover, or coincidentally encounter different environments. However, I deliberately chose not to write the story in words. I want viewers to create their own stories without hesitation.
There's also plenty of white space, so I hope children will feel free to fill it with their own drawings and words and enjoy it!
──Could you tell us about your future projects?
I'm currently working on a project for a brand, creating a documentary photo book about people with a shared fashion philosophy, both domestically and internationally. Also, this year I created session T-shirts with Fumiwo Ito, the former vocalist of KEMURI, and the late Allen Ginsberg. Next year, I plan to release new works with Ginsberg and other artists, presented in a different style than this year.
──Thank you very much.
"Inumaruke: Dogs...anywhere"
Author | Kiyohide Hori
Price | ¥1,575
Model | WISH...original
Design | Osamu Ohashi (thumb M)
A5 variant size / 48 pages / Color / Hardcover
Published by | Kiyohide Hori
Kiyohide Hori | HORI Kiyohide
Photographer. Born in Aichi Prefecture. Moved to the U.S. in 1991 and studied at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. Returned to Japan in 1997. Since then, he has been active in a wide range of popular magazines, from fashion to culture, for both men and women, including "FRaU," "DUNE," "GQ JAPAN," "Number," "OCEANS," "POPEYE," "SWITCH," "SPUR," and "Eco-Colo." He has also been energetically involved in advertising for major companies such as Fuji Television, TV Asahi, BS Asahi, TAKEO KIKUCHI, BEAMS, Mizuno, au, Laforet Harajuku, Tourism Australia, IDEE, and Daiwa House. Additionally, he has created CD jackets and live photos for numerous musicians, including Sony Music Associated Records, Toshiba EMI, avex, Universal Music, and Victor Entertainment.
http://www.kiyohidehori.com/