Shizuka (Cleanse)
Living in the forest, I feel the presence of many “treasures” breathing quietly in nature.
I call this presence “Shizuka.”
“Shizuka” means cleansed, pure, clear, and untainted.
I walk around the forest and harvest my “Shizuka” treasures from soil. I try to catch the faint light radiated by these treasures with both my eyes and my camera.
In Tao Te Ching , an ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu wrote , “A great presence is hard to see. A great sound is hard to hear. A great figure has no form.”
What he means is that the world is full of noises that we humans are not capable of hearing. For example, we cannot hear the noises created by the movement of the universe. Although these sounds exist, we ignore them altogether and act as if only what we can hear exists. Lao-tzu teaches us to humbly accept that we only play a small part in the grand scheme of the universe.
I feel connected to his words. I have always sensed that there is something precious in nature. I have an impression that something very vague and large might exist beyond the small things I can feel. This is why I started collecting “Shizuka” treasures.
“Shizuka” transmits itself through the delicate movement of air, the smell of the earth, the faint noises of the environment, and rays of light. “Shizuka” sends messages to all five of my senses.
Capturing light is the essence of photography. I am convinced more than ever that photography was created when humans wished to capture light.
I hope you will enjoy “Shizuka”, the treasures of the forest, through my photographs.
Mar.15,2012
Yamamoto Masao
Artist statement
Det var denne japanske kunstner jeg ikke kunne komme i tanke om forleden dag… Yamamoto Masao, som har specialiseret sig i mindre fotografier, og dreje dem hen som små kunstobjekter.
Han har udgivet 6 bøger, og jeg ville elske at se dem alle. Den ene jeg har stiftet bekendtskab med har jeg suget til mig. Jeg elsker hans stil, enkelheden, stilheden, stor æstetisk styrke, og en underspillethed der er meget pirrende.
Det som umiddelbart ser ud som tidsbillede, eller fotografier af ældre dato, er bevidst manuel bearbejdning med farver, kanter, eksperimenter samt mixed medier og fantastisk tryk af fotografierne….hans stil er helt i sin egen klasse. Og det interessante er motivvalget, som for det meste er små indblik i hverdagens lille-hed og storhed, uden at prefabrikere en historie.
Jeg er vildt inspireret af hans arbejde…håber I også får glæde af mødet med hans kunst…
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