MASAO YAMAMOTO
BONSAI
Published by T&M Projects, 2019
Book Size 240 × 210 mm
Pages 66 pages
Binding Softcover, Hand-bound (Japanese binding)
Special Slipcase Publication
Language English, Japanese
ISBN978-4-909442-10-9
Bonsai embody several contradictions. They are natural objects forced into artificial shapes. They obey the will of their owner yet decide their growth freely. They take years to cultivate yet require daily attention. In “Bonsai – Microcosms Macrocosms”, photographer (and trained oil painter) Masao Yamamoto captured the beauty bonsai – these essential Japanese objects – in fascinating, sepia-colored images. Utilizing different backgrounds (like the famous Mt. Fuji), techniques and styles, Yamamoto looks at each of the trees in his photos with care and respect, accentuating their dual presence as artificial objects and fragments of nature. The book concludes with an essay by bonsai artist Akiyama Minoru (in Japanese and English translation).
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Bonsai embody several contradictions. They are natural objects constrained to artificial forms. They obey the will of their owner but freely decide their growth. They take years to cultivate but require daily attention. In “Bonsai – Microcosms Macrocosms,” Masao Yamamoto has captured their beauty – these essential Japanese objects – in fascinating sepia-toned images. Using different horizons (such as the famous Mount Fuji) as different techniques or styles, Yamamoto treats each of the trees in his photographs with care and respect, emphasizing their dual presence as artificial objects and fragments of nature. The book concludes with an essay by artist Akiyama Minoru (Japanese and English translation).