Nagase Sayo is an up-and-coming photographer. In recent years, she has increasingly worked with overseas clients and galleries, and although it is difficult for Nagase to put her work into words, she has come to realize the importance of an artist statement to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds. In this second part, we will explore the message contained in her collection of works, along with Nagase's own words. Click here for the first part
■ "WATER TOWER" (2011)
"WATER TOWER" is a work with an ancient theme. It is filled with scenes of somewhere in this world, somewhere that is nowhere. It is intriguing that this collection of works was published in 2011, a year when, even within Japan, there was an increasing desire to know what is certain and what essential value is. There are shots of feminine light and silhouettes lying across the landscape, as well as towering water towers embracing water. It seems to be a work that captures a world where contradictory entities exist from Nagase's perspective.
"This photo book was completed one week before the (Great East Japan) earthquake. I think that in ancient times, elders lived under big trees, and it was a place of comfort for people in times of anxiety. It was like worshiping the gods and spirits that dwell in big towers and trees. I took these photos in 'WATER TOWER' with the feeling that we are living in an age where it is unclear what people use as their guideposts." (Nagase)
■ 'White Flowers' (2012)
The work titled 'White Flowers' is actually based on the theme of 'immunity.' White flowers frequently appear in scenes that could be found anywhere in everyday life. Who would have thought that these delicate flowers were the very thing that caused Nagase so much pain? This work could be said to capture the absurdity of the world.
"I originally started photographing this white flower because I was intrigued by it, but then I started feeling sick whenever I was in front of it...I ended up suffering from hay fever. Even though I love this flower, my white blood cells see the pollen as a foreign substance and attack it, which makes me sneeze and gives me a runny nose. That made me wonder what immunity is...So I left a cryptic message on the very last page: 'Your hay fever has nothing to do with your thoughts.' I wanted to affirm my love for this flower by making people realize that hay fever is just a delusion." (Nagase)
■'Pink Lemonade' (2013)
This photo book was created with the idea that of the three primary colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow), magenta represents "pink" and yellow represents "lemonade." The book conveys the feeling of opposites attracting each other, and living their lives by coming closer and then drifting apart. 」
"When I print in the darkroom, I create subtle colors by gradually mixing opposite colors, magenta and yellow, so when I think about colors, it feels like my mind is solving a puzzle. The models' hairstyles are also interesting, with black and pink hair, and there's something interesting about putting opposite colors next to each other. It seems intuitive, but it's also logical. The models are half American and half Japanese. I deliberately photographed them on tatami mats, a typically Japanese element, and in the suburbs of Tokyo wearing sneakers I bought in America. Like yellow and magenta, these works were born from the process of blending different things together at the same time." (Nagase)
Are Nagase's photographs "things that everyone sees, but doesn't notice"?
I encourage you to stand in front of her works and feel their presence for yourself.
[Event Information]
To commemorate the release of Nagase's first photo book in two years, "SPRITE," an exhibition of the same title will be held in Daikanyama.
Nagase Sayo Photo Exhibition "SPRITE"
Venue: Daikanyama "AL"
Address: 3-7-17 Ebisu Minami, Tokyo
Dates: June 28th to July 7th
Time: 12:00 to 19:00
[Nagase Sayo Profile]
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1978. In 2016, she released her first photo book in two years, "SPRITE," and also held a solo exhibition. She has produced seven photo books to date, with "PINK LEMONADE" and "Asphalt & Chalk" published by Paris-based Stockholm-based LIBRARYMAN.
■ "WATER TOWER" (2011)
"WATER TOWER" is a work with an ancient theme. It is filled with scenes of somewhere in this world, somewhere that is nowhere. It is intriguing that this collection of works was published in 2011, a year when, even within Japan, there was an increasing desire to know what is certain and what essential value is. There are shots of feminine light and silhouettes lying across the landscape, as well as towering water towers embracing water. It seems to be a work that captures a world where contradictory entities exist from Nagase's perspective.
"This photo book was completed one week before the (Great East Japan) earthquake. I think that in ancient times, elders lived under big trees, and it was a place of comfort for people in times of anxiety. It was like worshiping the gods and spirits that dwell in big towers and trees. I took these photos in 'WATER TOWER' with the feeling that we are living in an age where it is unclear what people use as their guideposts." (Nagase)
■ 'White Flowers' (2012)
The work titled 'White Flowers' is actually based on the theme of 'immunity.' White flowers frequently appear in scenes that could be found anywhere in everyday life. Who would have thought that these delicate flowers were the very thing that caused Nagase so much pain? This work could be said to capture the absurdity of the world.
"I originally started photographing this white flower because I was intrigued by it, but then I started feeling sick whenever I was in front of it...I ended up suffering from hay fever. Even though I love this flower, my white blood cells see the pollen as a foreign substance and attack it, which makes me sneeze and gives me a runny nose. That made me wonder what immunity is...So I left a cryptic message on the very last page: 'Your hay fever has nothing to do with your thoughts.' I wanted to affirm my love for this flower by making people realize that hay fever is just a delusion." (Nagase)
■'Pink Lemonade' (2013)
This photo book was created with the idea that of the three primary colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow), magenta represents "pink" and yellow represents "lemonade." The book conveys the feeling of opposites attracting each other, and living their lives by coming closer and then drifting apart. 」
"When I print in the darkroom, I create subtle colors by gradually mixing opposite colors, magenta and yellow, so when I think about colors, it feels like my mind is solving a puzzle. The models' hairstyles are also interesting, with black and pink hair, and there's something interesting about putting opposite colors next to each other. It seems intuitive, but it's also logical. The models are half American and half Japanese. I deliberately photographed them on tatami mats, a typically Japanese element, and in the suburbs of Tokyo wearing sneakers I bought in America. Like yellow and magenta, these works were born from the process of blending different things together at the same time." (Nagase)
Are Nagase's photographs "things that everyone sees, but doesn't notice"?
I encourage you to stand in front of her works and feel their presence for yourself.
[Event Information]
To commemorate the release of Nagase's first photo book in two years, "SPRITE," an exhibition of the same title will be held in Daikanyama.
Nagase Sayo Photo Exhibition "SPRITE"
Venue: Daikanyama "AL"
Address: 3-7-17 Ebisu Minami, Tokyo
Dates: June 28th to July 7th
Time: 12:00 to 19:00
[Nagase Sayo Profile]
Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1978. In 2016, she released her first photo book in two years, "SPRITE," and also held a solo exhibition. She has produced seven photo books to date, with "PINK LEMONADE" and "Asphalt & Chalk" published by Paris-based Stockholm-based LIBRARYMAN.
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