Eikoh Hosoe: Photographs

by Eikō Hosoe (Photographer)

Eikoh Hosoe is an integral part of the history of modern Japanese photography. He remains a driving force in photography, not only for his own work, but also as a teacher and as an ambassadorial figure, fostering artistic exchange between Japan and the outside world. His influence has been felt not only in his native country, but throughout the international photographic community. Baroque, theatrical, and rich with metaphor, Eikoh Hosoe's photographs evoke the dark, post-nuclear folklore of the Japanese imagination that is peopled by characters both real and fictitious. His collaborations with novelist and provocateur Yukio Mishima and with founder of the Butoh dance movement Tatsumi Hijikata resulted in extended essays created out of a unique hybrid of performance, biography, and the still image. This volume presents a selection of the finest of Hosoe's photographs, including a thumbnail reproduction of one of his seminal essays, "Kamaitachi," in its entirety. An essay by Mark Holborn, photo-historian and author, presents an introduction to Hosoe's lifework.

22 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

Eikoh Hosoe