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  ©Issei Suda

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In a moment of brief but close communication with the subjects, Issei Suda’s snapshots convey the wonder of the existence of these beings. 
Photographing people, streets, scenes of everyday life, Issei Suda has created a surprisingly and uniquely diverse universe of his own. In this exhibition now unveiled is an unknown realm of his art represented by a series of new works.  
In complete contrast his original photographing style taking various snapshots walking about in town, this time, Suda persistently photographed only one subject –Sparrow Island. 
The loss of the diversity of the subjects, however, seemed to allow more direct, clearer expression of his world.

Sparrow Island is an islet off Tsutsugaura Izumi-city, Chiba. One day, Suda visited Sparrow Island which is less than 1 hour drive from home and ever since, he has frequented this island for shooting photographs. 
The island haunted him. He often woke up in the middle of the night and left home for the island to take photographs. 
Was it named “Suzume (sparrow)“ because it is small like a sparrow? Exposed to the waves and the elements, the tiny island has eroded down to its present shape.

By and by the island is turning into a rock by the wave erosion and is destined to be lost to time. 
Recording the change of this vanishing island must have stirred the photographer’s mind. 
At some point, as if lapping the vanishing island over change in the human body’s shape or the transformation of a town, Suda started to express his theme through the images of Sparrow Island.
“My obsession with photographing a sole subject which aroused my interest reached a peak. As long as I face the island, it was my possession. Depending on the state of my mind, it could appear to me as the blackest genie or a place of miracle. “ So says Suda. As a result, “the sole, silent subject I closely engaged with was the very symbol of everything that I had pursued in the past.”

As if led by his instinct, the photographer has discovered his own obsession, which was recreated on the printing paper in the shape of a landscape of the island. Those who encounter Suda’s works will find them as a symbol of sentimentalism or eroticism, or perhaps, be captured by some ethereal existence.

About 30 gelatine silver prints will be exhibited in the gallery.

<Related Exhibition>

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Issei Suda Exhibition

「Sign」    Sep 26 − Oct 2, 2011

「ROOM 2010」    Oct 3 − Oct 9, 2011

Issei Suda

Born in Tokyo, Japan in 1940 and graduated from the Tokyo College of Photography in 1962. He worked as the house photographer of the experimental theatrical group Tenjo Sajiki under Shuji Terayama from 1967-1970.

His first and best known exhibition was 1977’s Fushi Kaden (Nikon Salon) and has been followed up with numerous projects. His critically acclaimed photographs of cities and their people show the incredible diversity to be found in daily life.

Exhibitions at PGI