Yutaka Takanashi - Menmokuyakujyo - 1990

Menmokuyakujyo

Yutaka Takanashi
Heibonsha/1990/Japanese/230*270*13

Yutaka Takanashi: The Photographer Who Defined Postwar Japan. Yutaka Takanashi, a member of the legendary photography collective “Provoke” alongside Takuma Nakahira and Daido Moriyama, is best known for his seminal work “Towards the City” (1974), which encapsulates his urban theory from the 1960s and 70s. He continued to shine as a photographer with exceptional skill in landscapes and snapshots, producing works like ‘Town’ (1974) and ‘Tokyo People’ (1983), both set in Tokyo, and later ‘First Country’ (1993), which expanded his focus to cities nationwide. However, in his early career, he gained recognition as a photographer working on “commercial” projects at the Japan Design Center, and his portrait works of singers, actors, and artists are particularly famous. His “Otsukaresama” series, featuring unique setups with actors like Kiyoshi Atsumi, Kyu Sakamoto, and Yukio Aoshima to reveal their lesser-known, candid faces, and his “Walking People” series from the early winter of the 1970s, exemplify his signature intellectual approach and expression. These works, distinct from orthodox portraiture, are the source of his originality. This volume compiles 25 years of Takanashi's portraiture career.