A collection of Bruce Gilden's acclaimed Japanese photographs
Bruce Gilden first set foot in Japan in 1994. On that trip and subsequent others, he explored the meandering streets of a country that had long fascinated him. From Tokyo to Osaka, he laid Japan bare in his own inimitable photographic style. Each image is a very close and powerful encounter with a story behind it. As ever, Gilden makes his approach, talks, tells stories, takes photographs, and paints a portrait of a unique street scene. In search of personalities as strong as his own, Gilden drew on the details around him to transcribe his vision of Japan: one man’s suit, another’s hat, or a woman’s posture. All of these elements, which give strength to the images, form a captivating ensemble – on the margins, just like him.
In Cherry Blossom, Gilden tells the story of these voyages and the ties he maintains with Japan in a rare introductory text. The stories told alongside these pictures – whether an anecdote or a dialogue with their characters – render the American photographer’s vision even more contemporary than ever.
'Each image in the book is a complete story of a bigger picture of Japan'
Amateur Photographer
'A fascinating and unique portrait of the streets of Japan'
AnOther
'Bruce Gilden is very much one of a kind … a wonderful retrospective'
Amateur Photographer 'Books of the Year 2021'
'Will disburden you of notions of Japan as a land of saccharine Hello Kitty tchotchkes and preternaturally serene Michael Kenna landscapes. There are no cherry blossoms here, just black-and-white closeups of the derelicts, gangsters, hookers and salarymen the Brooklyn-born Mr. Gilden, now 76, encountered during his visits to Japan from 1995 to 2000'
Wall Street Journal
Format: Hardback without Jacket
Size: 27.5 x 19.0 cm
Extent: 144 pp
Publication date: 30 September 2021
ISBN: 9780500545553