Nude

Tokyo: Chikuma Shobo 1971, 1971. First edition. Portfolio of ten gravure prints, eight in black and white and two in colour. 592x420mm. The prints are in a large white envelope together with a separate title page on the verso of which are notes and details about the photographs (text in Japanese). They are protected inside the envelope by a heavy sheet of cardboard. This is all placed in a black card folder with an illustrated label covering part of the upper cover, spine and lower cover. The photographs are in excellent condition although there are some marks on the rear of the prints but these do not affect the images in any way. The white envelope has some fading and sunning and there is a little marking and spotting to the black portfolio case. Overall this is in very good condition - an excellent example of the complete set of these striking images many of which are from Shinoyama's 1970 book "Nudes". These place the nude human form in the expansive landscape of Death Valley to create a challenging surrealism. Always beautiful, Shinoyama's work, in common with much postwar Japanese photography, frequently hints at the dark and threatening. This portfolio is volume 2 of the Chikuma Photo Gallery series of collections of ten images from eight leading Japanese photographers. The other seven are Hiroshi Hamaya, Yoshikazu Shirakawa, Yoichi Midorikawa Taikichi Irie, Yoshihiro Tatsuki, Ikko Narahara, and Eikoh Hosoe.