Hiroshi Sugimoto

Jacob Cavenee

Art 177-001

Professor Pease

23 February 2016

Hiroshi Sugimoto

            Hiroshi Sugimoto was born in 1948 in Japan. Sugimoto has been photographing since the 1970’s (Fraenkel Gallery). Before leaving Japan, he received his bachelor’s in sociology and politics at St. Paul’s University (Caplan). Sugimoto attended the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles (Caplan). Sugimoto travels back and fourth from Japan to New York City. Sugimoto’s photography style is seascapes, movie theaters, history dioramas, waxworks, and Buddhist sculptures (Gagosian). Sugimoto’s main influence is surrealism and Dada. He likes to mix old century photography with modern day elements.

            Sugimoto’s technique is defined as a nineteenth century style, large formatted camera with a long exposure. He like to “explore the idea of photography as a method for preserving and modeling time” (Artsy.com). Sugimoto’s studio in New York City faces the north. This is important for his technique because all direct sunlight is avoided (The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts). Sugimoto’s long exposure photos are typically 20 to 40 minutes long with the use of a tripod (The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts). To achieve this type of photography with modern day cameras, you would have to set your shutter on bulb and hold down the shutter for up to 20 minutes. For printing, Sugimoto uses his own style of silver based developer (ART21). This creates rich tones for all his photographs with no pure whites but rich black tones, and he prefers to hand-develop his images. (ART21). I think that they way he photographs with the long exposure creating a bright image but then counter acts the pure whites with the silver developer is amazing. After researching his different subjects of his photography, I think his images are brilliant. It’s amazing to see his blend of nineteenth century photography and be able to blend modern textures and architecture with the rich tones from the developing process is so cool to look at. One of my favorite pieces from him is the “Stadium Drive-In, Orange, 1993.” I love how you can see the scenery around the screen, and the few stars. All of his work is so good it’s hard to find a piece that you don’t like. Personally, I am not a big fan of the wax figures. I think that the wax portraits that he takes are definitely different from his other photography, but is another example with his blend of old and new. His style of work really separate’s him from other photographers, but in an abstract way.

Works Citied

Caplan, Marla. "Hiroshi Sugimoto | Japanese Photographer." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

Gagosian, Larry. "Hiroshi Sugimoto - Gagosian Gallery." Hiroshi Sugimoto - Gagosian Gallery. Gagosian Gallery, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

"Hiroshi Sugimoto - 62 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy." Hiroshi Sugimoto - 62 Artworks, Bio & Shows on Artsy. Artsy, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016

"Hiroshi Sugimoto | Fraenkel Gallery." Fraenkel Gallery. Bad Feather, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

"Hiroshi Sugimoto's Photographic Technique | The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts." Hiroshi Sugimoto's Photographic Technique | The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

"Hiroshi Sugimoto: Tradition | ART21." Hiroshi Sugimoto: Tradition | ART21. ART21, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.

(All photos from Artsy.net and Artnet.com)