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Hiroshi Sugimoto

(Tokyo, Japan, 1948 - )

Bay of Sagami, Atami

1997

Selenium toned gelatin silver print

16 5/8 x 21 1/4 in. (42.2 x 54.1 cm)

Collection of the Akron Art Museum

Knight Purchase Fund for Photographic Media

1998.25

© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

More Information

In making his Seascape series, Sugimoto pondered, “What would be the most unchanged scene on the surface of the earth? Can someone today view a scene just as primitive man might have? Although the land is forever changing its form, the sea, I thought, is immutable. Thus began my travels back through time to the ancient seas of the world.” “My first view of the ocean came as an awakening…. I spied it from a Tokaido Line Train, the seascape passing from left to right…. The horizon line where the azure sea met the brilliant sky was razor sharp, like a samurai sword’s blade. Captivated by this startling yet oddly familiar scene, I felt I was gazing on a primordial landscape. The experience left an indelible mark on me…. Every time I view the sea, I feel a calming sense of security, as if visiting my ancestral home.”

Keywords
Photography
Contemporary Art
Haunting
Black and White
Japanese
Gelatin Silver
Water
Reflected light