Claiming throughout his life to be "a simple amateur" of photography, this enthusiast ( "I only think about photographs, even when I sleep and wake up ," he used to say), spent his life in his native region, in the prefecture of Tottori, whose sand dunes inspired his most famous series - so much so that these dunes have today become a symbol of this master of composition.
His instantly recognizable photographic style, perfectly and freely staged, bordering on surrealism, stood out in the Japanese photographic landscape, where realism and documentary were fashionable. A term was even invented to characterize his photography: Ueda-cho (the "Ueda Style").
Because it is indeed about composition and the construction of a visual universe apart that we talk about when we describe Shoji Ueda's images. The photographer, creating a graphic, poetic, surrealist and fanciful world, stages his models, the objects he photographs, his wife and his children in the same way, with humor and kindness, seeming to play with things and beings as a child would with figurines. Inventing for them a whole world made of dunes, cottony clouds, tall grass populated by masked creatures, making all barriers of context and time, the master gives to everything that crosses his path and poses in front of his lens a place in his world: that of Shoji Ueda.
We thank Yutaka Masutani, his grandson, thanks to whom we can today present an overview of this very unique universe through images, some of which are iconic, from several series and several eras.
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THE WORLD OF SHOJI UEDA
Galerie &co119 is proud to exhibit works from one of the first masters of Japanese photography, Shoji Ueda (1913-2000).
Considering himself as a mother, but passionate, amateur – one who used to say, “I only think about photography, even when I sleep and as soon as I wake up” – Ueda spent his life in the region where he was born, in the Tottori Prefecture, surrounded by the sand dunes that inspired his iconic series. These sand dunes have come to symbolize the work of this master of composition.
His photographic style, absolutely recognizable, perfectly and freely composed, nearing surrealism, contrasted greatly from the realist and documentary work of his Japanese peers who were in fashion at that time. A word was even coined to refer to his particular photographic style: Ueda-cho (the “Ueda style”).
It is indeed composition, and creation of a visual world in itself, that Shoji Ueda's images are revealing. The photographer – creating a world which is simultaneously graphic, poetic, surrealist, and imaginative – plays with his models, the objects he is shooting, his wife and his children alike, with humor and gentleness, as if these subjects were gurines a kid would play with. Inventing a world with no time constraints, made of dunes, clouds-like cotton balls and tall grass hiding masked creatures, this master of photography o ers all that cross his path and pose in front of his camera a place in his world: the world of Shoji Ueda.
We would like to deeply thank Yutaka Masutani, Shoji Ueda's grandson, for making this exhibition possible. Through his generosity, we are able to show a part of Ueda's fascinating world through images, some iconic, some less known, from different periods and series.
VERNISSEMENT / OPENING RECEPTION
21.03.19, 18:00 – 21:00
Dates: 03.21.2019 – 05.17.2019
Place: Gallery &CO119
119 rue Vieille du Temple 75003 Paris