Yoshihiko Ueda - M. River - 2013

Yoshihiko Ueda is one of Japan's most prominent commercial photographers, yet he has also published a number of well-regarded books of his personal work. "M.River" takes the viewer on an abstract journey into the wildnerness. The nominal subject of this book is, of course, a river, but the river itself is only a medium through which Ueda conducts an experiment in seeing. This experiment consists in showing a series of blurred images of the river, followed by a series of clear images, and ending with another set of blurred ones. These blurred images hold the gaze surprisingly well, and the core of "M.River" lies in the experience of looking at these photographs. In other words, the object of Ueda's experiment is to let the viewer consider the way that they are looking―perhaps not just at these photographs in particular, but at the world in general. "M.River" requires careful, concentrated viewing, and the book's clean design and layout facilitate this meditative gaze.
Includes an English text by Shigeo Goto, G/P gallery director and co-curator of Gallery 916.

The book features 20 photographs captured in the early spring along the pristine, ancient river source deep in the primeval forests of Yakushima, Japan. It builds on Ueda's ongoing exploration of Materia, attempting to visually capture the raw, primordial source and energy of life. The river serves as a medium for an artistic test on human perception. The layout transitions from intentionally blurred, defocused images in the first half, to sharp, highly detailed photographs in the middle, and back to blurred images at the conclusion. The clean design and softcover presentation encourage a slow, contemplative viewing experience that questions how we observe both art and the natural world.

This copy and OBI in near fine condition.