Items Similar to Ryo Ueguchi, Matsuo Kabuki
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
Hiroshi WatanabeRyo Ueguchi, Matsuo Kabuki2003
2003
About the Item
Those Kabuki players you see in my photographs are not with the mainstream Kabuki companies in Tokyo. They are with localized small groups located in various parts of Japan. They are not professional actors in a sense, as they don’t get paid for their plays. They actually spend quite a lot of their own money to be in the plays. Kabuki is known for lavish make-up, costumes, and stage set-ups. As such, those who want to be in the plays must be committed and prepared. They spend their time and money because of their love for being in the theater—attention they get, pride, prestige, and joy of being part of their tradition. One such company is based in a town called Nakatsugawa. The town is cozily nested at the foot of Japan Alps Mountains. It was situated at the halfway point between Tokyo and Kyoto of the old main road called Nakasendo in Edo era, and because of this strategic location, it flourished as a trading post about three hundred years ago. The town became rich, but had no cultures as they are away from big cities. They had to wait for Kabuki Company to arrive, which comes only once a year. Being tired of waiting, they finally decided to do Kabuki by themselves. They built a theater and hired make-up artists, costumers, and stage craftsmen from Kyoto just for themselves, and they started to play their favorite stories. Thus it became their tradition. I believe good portraits are the ones that show the characters and personality of the subjects--their human beings. I find it a difficult task, as people are so well educated about photographs nowadays. People know how to pose, how to make impressions, and how to look good, and hardly reveal what they really are. Those Kabuki players are also hidden in heavy make-up and wardrobes in a made-up world. But when they sit in front of my camera between plays, they are so much saturated (and worried) in their roles, that they pay very little attention to my existence. They are struck with stage fright and they repeat their lines over and over as I photograph. Remember this is not what they do everyday. On the other hand, they are not afraid of me, or of anyone else, as their faces are shielded by the heavy make-ups. They can be themselves without worrying about other people, as if they were in the masquerade. They feel that no one knows who he or she really is, or at least people know that they were in a fictional world. At those moments, they are much closer to me.
- Creator:Hiroshi Watanabe (1951, Japanese)
- Creation Year:2003
- Dimensions:Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 10 in (25.4 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Framing:Framing Options Available
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Sante Fe, NM
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU134210524872
Hiroshi Watanabe
" I go to places that captivate and intrigue me. I am interested in what humans do. I seek to capture people, traditions, and locales that first and foremost are of personal interest. I immerse myself with information on the places prior to leaving, but I try to avoid firm, preconceived ideas. I strive for both calculation and discovery in my work, keeping my mind open for surprises. At times, I envision images I’d like to capture, but when I actually look through the viewfinder, my mind goes blank and I photograph whatever catches my eye. Photographs I return with are usually different from my original concepts. My photographs reflect both genuine interest in my subject as well as a respect for the element of serendipity, while other times I seek pure beauty. The pure enjoyment of this process drives and inspires me. I believe there’s a thread that connects all of my work -- my personal vision of the world as a whole. I make every effort to be a faithful visual recorder of the world around me, a world in flux that, at very least in my mind, deserves preservation." – Hiroshi Watanabe
About the Seller
5.0
Vetted Seller
These experienced sellers undergo a comprehensive evaluation by our team of in-house experts.
Established in 1993
1stDibs seller since 2015
213 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 12 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Santa Fe, NM
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Marta Marchi as StregaBy Hiroshi WatanabeLocated in Sante Fe, NMIn the series “Comedy of Double Meaning’ Japanese photographer Hiroshi Watanabe photographs members of a Venetian theatrical troupe, the Pantakin Company, dressed as Pulcinella, Inna...Category
2010s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Varanasi, IndiaBy Pentti SammallahtiLocated in Sante Fe, NMPentti Sammallahti is a benchmark figure in contemporary Finnish photography. His works depict nature eroded and broken down by civilization, but he does not put man and the environm...Category
1990s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Druridge Bay, England, 1998By Pentti SammallahtiLocated in Sante Fe, NMPentti Sammallahti is a benchmark figure in contemporary Finnish photography. His works depict nature eroded and broken down by civilization, but he does not put man and the environm...Category
1990s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima, JapanBy Pentti SammallahtiLocated in Sante Fe, NMIn many respects, Pentti Sammallahti is a modern-day nomad, an itinerant photographer who records lands and peoples as he comes upon them. One of the most distinguishing elements of ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Kalevala, Karelia, Russia (Dog looking at Lenin poster)By Pentti SammallahtiLocated in Sante Fe, NMThis print is currently featured in our exhibition, Warm Regards, and will be available to ship after the show closes June 24th, 2017. Pentti Sammallahti is a benchmark figure in co...Category
1990s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Inch, Co. Kerry, Ireland (Landscape ocean and cliffs)By Pentti SammallahtiLocated in Sante Fe, NMPentti Sammallahti is a benchmark figure in contemporary Finnish photography. His works depict nature eroded and broken down by civilization, but h...Category
1970s Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
You May Also Like
- Hugh Hefner, Black and White Vintage 1960s Photograph of famed Playboy FounderBy Burt GlinnLocated in New york, NYBy photographer Burt Glinn a black-and-white vintage gelatin silver print of Editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner who wrote for his magazine, Playboy. An historical photo...Category
1960s Contemporary Portrait Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
- Jimmy Page, San Francisco, CABy Herb GreeneLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Jerry Garcia, San Francisco, CABy Herb GreeneLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Jerry Garcia and Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, San Francisco, CA 1967By Herb GreeneLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Janis Joplin, San Francisco, CA 1966By Herb GreeneLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin
- Lydia Pense, San Francisco, CABy Herb GreeneLocated in New York, NY16x20” Limited Edition Next available edition printed upon purchase. Other sizes available. Please allow 4 weeks for production.Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography
MaterialsSilver Gelatin