KAZUO KITAI
RESISTANCE
Published by KAZUO KITAI FOTO INSTITUTE, 2015
Book size 30 x 30 cm
Pages 25 pages
12 images
Hardcover
Limited edition of 151
Numbered and signed by the artist
Rare book
Excellent condition
“I have been a photographer for 50 years now since I took the photos of 'Resistance' at the age of 20. I have taken photos with film and printed using the silver gelatin process. Now, I have made up my mind to say goodbye to my old companions of analog photographs using film and will now make silver gelatin prints from now on. My photographs will all be taken with a digital camera and the prints will be digital, and the works will be published as printed matter such as photography books.
I know that this is a decision which requires quite some resolution. Yet I think that, after 50 years, it's a good time to make this determination. Publishing this new color edition of 'Resistance' means that I am restarting photography.
Though I took the photos of the Yokosuka Naval Base in color, I have never seen these photographs in color. I waited for 50 years until I finally had a chance to see these images in color. I want to consider now what does '50 years' mean to me.”
-statement of the artist
50 years after having taken the photographs of the Zengakuren student protests at the Yokosuka Naval Base in 1964, Kazuo Kitai's previously unpublished and unreleased photographs taken during the same period which capture the nearby bar district of Yokosuka Naval Base have now been realized and published in its full color form. Having originally intended to publish the photographs of the bar district alongside the student protests, Kitai had lacked the financial resources choosing only to publish the black and white images and as a result produced what would become his iconic photo book “Resistance” in 1965. Finally , 50 years after its intended publication, these never before seen images provide a comparative glimpse into an already iconic body of work. Captured only a week following the turbulent student protests at Yokosuka Naval Base, Kitai's “Resistance Color” is an altogether unique and significant addition to the seminal collection of Japanese 1970s and 1980s Protest books.
--------“I have been a photographer for 50 years now since I took the ‘Resistance’ photos when I was 20. I took photos with film and printed them using the gelatin silver process. Now I have decided to say goodbye to my old analogue photography companions using film and will be making silver prints from now on. My photographs will all be taken with a digital camera and the prints will be digital, and the works will be published as prints such as photography books.
I know it is a decision that requires some resolution. Yet I feel that after 50 years, it is the right time to make this decision. The publication of this new color edition of “Resistance” means that I am starting photography again.
Although I took the photos of the Yokosuka Naval Base in color, I have never seen these photographs in color. I have waited 50 years before I finally had the chance to see these images in color. I want to think now about what "50 years" means to me.
-artist's statement
50 years after he took the photographs of the Zengakuren student protests at Yokosuka Naval Base in 1964, Kazuo Kitai’s previously unpublished and unpublished photographs taken during the same period that capture the bar district near Yokosuka Naval Base have now been produced and published in its full-color form. Having originally intended to publish the photographs of the bar district alongside the student protests, Kitai did not have the financial resources to choose to publish only the black and white images and thus produced what would become his iconic photo book “Resistance” in 1965. Finally, 50 years after its intended publication, these previously unpublished images offer a comparative overview of an already iconic body of work. Captured just a week after the turbulent student protests at the Yokosuka naval base, Kitai's "Resistance Color" is a unique and significant addition to the seminal collection of Japanese protest books from the 1970s and 1980s.