Senior Curator of Photography at SFMoMA Sandra Phillips languidly reads a paper tracing the origins of US interest in Japanese photography. The paper is weighty with details of names, dates, publications, and exhibits, all important facts in establishing a history but as a part of a presentation can be numbing and obscure the main ideas. I had to concentrate to remain attentive.
From what I gather, the main actors are Edward Steichen,
Ishimoto Yasuhiro, and Steichen’s successor at MoMA, John Szarkowski. Steichen was introduced to Ishimoto Yasuhiro by Harry Callahan, who had been Ishimoto’s teacher at the Chicago Institute of Design. Steichen sponsored an exhibit of Ishimoto’s work at MoMA, and later had Ishimoto collect Japanese photographs for
Family of Man (1955), as well as assist in its redesign for a Japan tour.
The 1964 Olympics drew attention to Japan, with numerous press pieces, such as by Life magazine, and exhibits on Japanese art at various locations in the US. Szarkowski inherited Steichen’s interest in Japanese photography and visited Japan in 1971 for two weeks in search of material for a 1974 exhibit,
New Japanese Photography, 187 images from 1940-1973.
The first 50 minutes is the paper presentation, followed 15 minute Q&A.
Press release for
New Japanese Photography.
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