UTAKATA
Gloriosa in Her Hands
Toned Gelatin-Silver PrintGloriosa in Her Hands
10x10" Image
14x17" Mat
5/30
Artist Statement
The Transcience of Flowers
In my photographs, I always hope to convey feelings and a certain pathos. I have a very Japanese response to this transient earthly existence.
There is a traditional aesthetic in Japan known as aware (mono no aware), or yugen or sabi and has been expressed in a large number of classical Japanese literature since the 11th century, especially in short poems called tanka (thirty-one syllables written in 5-7-5-7-7 meter ) or haiku (seventeen syllables in 5-7-7 meter ). Our ancestors had an understanding about the sense of shogyo mujo of Buddhism; everything on earth is impermanent and nothing remains unchanged. However they never denied the visual charm of physical beauty, and loved it dearly. They knew well that human life was also fragile and fleeting, and so they had a sympathy with the ephemeral beauty on this earth. I think that they had more sensitive hearts than we do today in the modern society in Japan. This body of work is, for me, about coming round again to the root of traditional Japanese aesthetics. However, I do not want to express this concept the way it is done in classical Japanese literature. I hope to represent my own reflections on the impermanence of nature and human life. Everything that is born must die. Everything involves perishability. And so they are simply beautiful, though tainted with a hint of sadness. This feeling comes from the innermost heart of mine and urges me to take photographs. I believe that flowers, when photographed in black-and-white, best achieves my aim. These flowers, shorn of color, is the best symbolic representation of this pathos; the link between beauty and a feeling of sadness in this transient earthly existence.
Process Statement
All works are selenium-toned gelatin silver prints, fiber paper.
Films: Kodak Tmax (ISO100) and Fuji Acros (ISO100), Most of film was reduced the sensitivity from ISO 100 to ISO 32 and developed by Kodak Microdol-X developer (1: 3 water)
Cameras: Hasselblad , Linhof 4x5 and Pentax (6x4.5)
Darkroom Equipment - FUJI A450. Lenses:Componon S 135mm, 100mm. I love darkroom works.
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