Painted Red: Hiroh Kikai’s Asakusa Portraits

Öz

The research article investigates the interplay between individuals and their surroundings in documentary photography, centering on Hiroh Kikai's "Asakusa Portraits" as its primary focus. It examines the dynamic relationship between subjects and their environments, demonstrating how Kikai's portraits encapsulate the essence of the Asakusa district over a span of three decades. A comparative analysis is conducted between Kikai's approach to portraiture and that of renowned photographers Diane Arbus and August Sander, with an emphasis on Kikai's deliberate selection of locales and his timeless depiction of subjects. Technical elements such as lighting and composition are scrutinized, particularly Kikai's utilization of temple walls as a backdrop. Ultimately, the thesis posits that sincerity, communicated through diligent observation, holds paramount importance in documentary photography, irrespective of the degree to which the locale is portrayed. The conclusion posits that urban landscapes and individuals serve as reflective mirrors, symbolizing the interconnected facets of a given locale.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Documentary Photography
• Portrait
• Sensoji Temple
• Tokyo
• Hiroh Kikai

Kırmızı Boyanmış: Hiroh Kikai’nin Asakusa Portreleri

Öz

Bu araştırmada Kikai'nin "Asakusa Portreleri" çalışması odak noktası olarak ele alınıp incelenmektedir. Bu çalışma, konular ile çevreleri arasındaki değişen odaklanmayı derinlemesine incelemekte ve Kikai'nin portrelerinin üç on yıl boyunca Asakusa semtinin özünü nasıl yansıttığını göstermektedir. Ayrıca, çalışma, Kikai'nin portre yaklaşımını Diane Arbus ve August Sander'ın yaklaşımlarıyla karşılaştırarak, Kikai'nin mekanın bilinçli seçimini ve konularını zamansız bir şekilde betimlemesini vurgular. Teknik unsurlar üzerinde dururken, özellikle aydınlatma ve kompozisyon gibi unsurları ele alırken, Kikai'nin tapınak duvarlarını arka plan olarak tercih etme kararını ön plana çıkarmaktadır. Son olarak, araştırma, özverili gözlem yoluyla iletilen samimiyetin, mekânın ne kadar detaylı bir şekilde betimlendiğine bakılmaksızın belgesel fotoğrafçılıkta üstün öneme sahip olduğunu ileri sürmektedir. Ayrıca, şehir manzaralarının ve bireylerin birbirini yansıtarak bir yerin çeşitli yönlerini temsil ettiğini öne sürmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Tokyo
• Hiroh Kikai
• Portre
• Fotoğraf
• Sensoji Tapınağı

Kaynakça

1. About Senso-ji. (n.d.). Senso-ji | About Senso-ji. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://www.senso-ji.jp/about/index_e.html
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8. Kikai, H., Phillips, C., & Hosoma, H. (2008). Hiroh Kikai: Asakusa portraits (N. Fuku, Interviewer; 1st ed.). International Center of Photography; Steidl.

9. Keller, U. (1986). August Sander: Citizens of the twentieth century: Portrait photographs 1892-1952 (G. Sander, Ed.). MIT Press.
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13. Fig.1 Asakusa Portraits Cover. Kikai, Hiroh. Asakusa Portraits. New York: International Center of Photography. Gottingen: Steidl. 2008. Print.
14. Fig.2 Kikai Hiroh, “A Smiling Old Lady” 1986. Kikai, Hiroh. Asakusa Portraits. New York: International Center of Photography. Gottingen: Steidl. 2008. Print.
15. Fig.3 Sander, August. “Three Young Farmers In Sunday Dress 1914. Keller, Ulrich. August Sander: Citizens of the Twentieth Century: Portrait Photographs 1892-1952. Ed. Sander, Gunther. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1986. Print.
16. Fig.4 Kikai, Hiroh. “ A lady in an expensive fur coat, 2003. Kikai, Hiroh. Asakusa Portraits. New York: International Center of Photography.Gottingen: Steidl. 2008. Print.
17. Fig.5 Arbus, Diane. “Woman With A Veil on 5th Avenue NYC, 1968. Metmuseum https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/288917
18. Fig.6 An early portrait of Kikai “ A Boy Dressed as a Masked Wrestler, 1974. Kikai, Hiroh. Asakusa Portraits. New York: International Center of Photography. Gottingen: Steidl. 2008. Print.
19. Fig.7 Arbus Diane. “Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962. Met Museum https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/284712
20. Fig.8 Sander August. “Middle Class Child, 1925, Keller, Ulrich. August Sander: Citizens of the Twentieth Century: Portrait Photographs 1892-1952. Ed. Sander, Gunther. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1986. Print.
21. Fig. 9 Sander, August. “Circus People 1930. Keller, Ulrich. August Sander: Citizens of the Twentieth Century: Portrait Photographs 1892-1952. Ed. Sander, Gunther. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1986. Print.
22. Fig. 10 Arbus, Diane. “Tattooed Man at a Carnival, Md. 1970. MOCA https://www.moca.org/collection/work/tattooed-man-at-a-carnival-md
23. Fig. 11 Kikai, Hiroh. “A Performer of Butoh Dance, 2001. Kikai, Hiroh. Asakusa Portraits. New York: International Center of Photography.Gottingen: Steidl. 2008. Print.
24. Fig. 12 Kikai, Hiroh. “A Man who said he’d just had a drunken quarrel, 1985, Kikai, Hiroh. Asakusa Portraits. New York: International Center of Photography.Gottingen: Steidl. 2008. Print.