Switch Vol. 33 (2015) #2

Plot

FEATURE : NOBUYOSHI ARAKI (Japanese, b.1940) Who is a prolific Contemporary Japanese photographer known for his diaristic capturing of everyday life. Born in Tokyo, Araki studied photography and film at Chiba University before working in advertising. He began to work exclusively as a photographer in 1972, and has since produced hundreds of photographic prints and books. Araki’s work documents the quotidian elements of life: clouds, flowers, vibrant karaoke bars, Japanese toys, Tokyo cityscapes, and images of ordinary people. He is perhaps most well known for his nude photos of women. Many of these oft-controversial nudes depict women tightly bound with ropes in the Japanese bondage style known as Kinbaku. Considered by some to be pornographic, these works draw upon the tradition of Japanese Shunga, woodblock prints from the 17th century. Araki has also worked as a filmmaker, and has photographed musicians Bjork and Lady Gaga. His works are part of numerous collections, including the Tate Modern in London and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.