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White Room Gallery is pleased to present the
fascinating work of two important Japanese photographers from
two generations: Jun Morinaga and Masahiro Oku.
Each has followed a very different passion to realize their artistic
vision. Morinaga explores the endless moods and changing personality
of the ocean in his haunting seascapes, and Oku is enthralled
by the stories he finds in the provocative images of his native
city of Fukuoka.
Born in the Nagasaki Prefecture in 1937, Jun
Morinaga graduated from Nihon University in 1960, and landed
the plum position as WE. Eugene Smith's photographic assistant
for two years in Tokyo. In 1963 he was honored as Japan's New
Photographer of the Year. For forty years he has been fascinated
by the relationship between an object, and the photographic representation
of that object, especially as this applies to his lifelong obsession
with water. He began by documenting the decaying rivers running
through Tokyo, and now produces evocative, moody waterscapes
of the endlessly changing oceans of the world. He is included
in numerous important museums collections, and has been honored
by both the Japan Critics Association, and the Photographic Society
of Japan.
Forty-three year old Masahiro Oku lives in
Fukuoka, Japan. His work explores the changing cityscape, and his personal
relationship to his hometown. The photographs from his series: (Surface of the City,) evoke the ambivalent
feelings that often surround the development of any major urban
area. He wishes to express his vision of the city as both strikingly
beautiful, tinged with a hint of sadness for the cost of modern
development in today's world. Three additional photographic projects examine
similar themes. (Glass House) looks at how humans control the cycle of life
and death of the plants we cultivate in greenhouses within our cities. (Courtyard Light)
surveys at how artificial lighting affects our nighttime milieu, and (Stagnate of the City,)
explores the underbelly of our modern cities. Mr. Oku is owner
of Oku studio; a professional portrait studio founded by his
father, and has published work in many local and national publications
in Japan. He is chairman of the Fukuoka Contemporary Photographer's
Committee. |
