Akiko Otake - NY 1980 [ Signed] - 2012

A collection of essays and photographs by Akiko Otake taken during her stay in New York in the 1980s. First edition, hardcover,signed, with original OBI. An important book in which the author, active in all genres, unravels the circuit between photography and words. Published by Akaaka Art Publishing in 2012, 112 pages, 20,5×15,5 cm First edition, hardcover, signedCondition: New A collection of essays and photographs by Akiko Otake, taken during her stay in New York in the 1980s. "Sharp shadows cast by steel buildings, graffiti flooding the streets. Thirty years ago, I moved to the chaos of New York and, camera in hand, I set out to explore the city and the world. Eyes that breathe raw energy and confront the mysteries of existence." An important book in which the author, active in all genres, unravels the circuit between photography and words.

The book documents Otake's lived experience in New York City during her stay from 1979 to 1981. It captures a specific era in the city's history—characterized by both intense urban disorder and immense creative energy. It features evocative black-and-white street photography documenting sharp architectural shadows, subway cars and brick walls covered in heavy graffiti, abandoned buildings, and intimate portraits of the city's inhabitants. Rather than a simple photobook, NY 1980 serves as a critical junction where the author "unravels the circuit between photography and words". Otake's reflective essays accompany the raw imagery to process her memories of navigating the city's chaotic landscape thirty years prior.


The book was released alongside a corresponding portfolio and gallery exhibition titled "Gaze + Wonder NY1980". It remains a sought-after piece of modern Japanese photo-literature for collectors of urban street photography.

Copy and OBI fine condition. Signed by Otake!