Michael Kenna | Japan
Michael Kenna | Japan
May 1-31, 2020
350 Dundas Street West, Toronto
This May, Bau-Xi Photo presents Japan, a suite of photographic works by acclaimed British photographer, Michael Kenna. By using regional atmospheric elements–such as mist, fog, rain, and snow–and long exposures, Kenna simplifies the landscape into its most basic form. These images are akin to a haiku, capturing the natural juxtapositions of the landscape with his minimalist approach. Kenna has a way of bringing a calm centeredness to these moments of time in nature. He becomes a portrait photographer, capturing the intimacy between himself and the landscape.
Over the course of his career, Michael Kenna (b. 1953. Widnes, Lancashire, England) has become a prominent figure in contemporary photography, leaving his mark in the minimalist movement since the late 1970s. He has mounted over four-hundred and fifty solo exhibitions and has work included in more than a hundred permanent collections. These include but are not limited to: The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Tokyo; The National Gallery, Washington, D.C.; The Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai; and The Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.
Michael’s signature style is attributed to his long-time exposures – mainly taken at dawn or in the dark hours of the night – which capture the interactions between the natural landscape and human-made structures. His intimate silver-gelatin prints are still hand-made, reflect a sense of refinement, his appreciation of photographic history, and have become a trademark of his artistic approach. He currently resides in Seattle, WA.
Left: Two Winter Stocks, Biei, Hokkaido
Right: Snow on Pebbles, Toya Lake, Hokkaido
Left: Sand Mounds, Kamigamojinja, Kyoto
Right: Torii Gate, Study 3, Shosanbetsu, Hokkaido
Left: Clouds, Fence and Snow, Nakafurano, Hokkaido
Right: Temple Pond, Sanboh-in, Koyasan