Hiroshi Sugimoto, "Sagami Bay, Atami City", 1997, gelatin silver photo paper, 119.4×149.2cm. Formula hiroshi sugimoto, image courtesy of the artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Diana, Princess of Wales, 1999, gelatin silver photographic paper, 93.6 × 75 cm. Formula hiroshi sugimoto, image courtesy of the artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Salvador Dali, 1999, gelatin silver photographic paper, 93.6 × 75cm. Formula hiroshi sugimoto, image courtesy of the artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto, "Discharge Field 225", 2009, gelatin silver photo paper, 149.2×119.4cm. Formula hiroshi sugimoto, image courtesy of the artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Polar Bear, 1976, gelatin silver photographic paper, 119.4 × 149.2cm. Formula hiroshi sugimoto, image courtesy of the artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto with glass prism. Image courtesy Hiroshi Sugimoto Studio
Hiroshi Sugimoto, "Kenosha Theater, Kenosha", 2015, gelatin silver photo paper, 119.4 × 149.2 cm. Formula hiroshi sugimoto, image courtesy of the artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Union City Drive-in, Union City, 1993, gelatin silver photographic paper, 119.4 × 149.2 cm. Hiroshi Sugimoto, image courtesy of the artist
Exhibition: Hiroshi Sugimoto: The Endless Moment
Exhibition period: 2024.3.23-6.23
Venue: UCCA Center for Contemporary Art
In the bright spring of March, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art The long-awaited contemporary art exhibition - "Hiroshi Sugimoto: Endless Moments" is ushered in. This is the first solo exhibition of world-class artist Hiroshi Sugimoto in China. The exhibition displays 11 series and 127 works of art created by the 76-year-old artist over 50 years. Hiroshi Sugimoto once said: "From the moment you land on the ground to the moment you lie down on the bed and close your eyes, the exposure time of human eyes is only once." As a photographer who is good at using 8×10 large-format cameras and ultra-long The exposed artist, Hiroshi Sugimoto never cared about what Bresson called the decisive moment. From his earliest series of works "Perspective Gallery" to his famous domestic and overseas series such as "Portrait", "Seascape" and "Theatre", all of them use long exposure to capture the passage of time.
Photographer who wants to be an artist
Like many Japanese-style venues, this exhibition also has a low-key entrance. After opening the linen door curtain with the calligraphy "Endless Moment" printed on it, it feels like entering a whole new world. The Bauhaus factory-style ultra-high ceilings and open column-free exhibition hall of the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art are paired with large-format original works. The effect is exciting, while the main color of black and white in the exhibition makes people feel calm.
The main body of the exhibition is the four walls erected in the center of the exhibition hall, separated from each other. There are eight walls in total, and eight series of works are displayed respectively. The walls around the exhibition hall are occupied by several Buddhist series of works. The most eye-catching west wall is Hiroshi Sugimoto's huge calligraphy work "Impression of Brushstrokes, Heart Sutra", which is the world's first appearance of this work. The opposite wall on the east side displays the "Dangma Temple" series of works, far away from "Brushstroke Impression, Heart Sutra". The northern wall displays Buddhist statues taken at Sanjusangen-do Hall in Kyoto. Walking slowly through the exhibition hall, you feel as if you are swimming in time. Before you even start viewing the exhibition, you feel a sense of Zen.
Hiroshi Sugimoto was born in Tokyo, Japan, and has been exposed to photography since high school. In 1970, he received a double bachelor's degree in economics and Western philosophy from Tokyo Rikkyo University. While in college, Sugimoto Hiroshi began to have a strong interest in philosophy and read many works of Hegel and Kant. In 1974, Hiroshi Sugimoto traveled across the ocean and came to the United States to study art at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in photography, Sugimoto decided to settle in New York, where he began his career as an artist. Since he was already married and had children, it was difficult for him to make a living as an artist, so he opened an antique store in Soho, New York, which was managed by his wife and mainly sold antiques and artworks from Japan.
Unlike other photographers, Hiroshi Sugimoto does not limit himself to the field of photography. At the beginning of his career as an artist, he was influenced by Dadaism and Surrealism, and drew much inspiration from the works of artists such as Donald Judd and Marcel Duchamp. He wanted to use photography as a tool to present art through his photography abilities. Hiroshi Sugimoto never thought of himself as a photographer, but wanted to be an artist.
Starting from Philosophy
Hiroshi Sugimoto loves philosophy and is interested in many concepts of Buddhism. He has always taken the fleeting nature of life and the concepts of life and death as the themes of his creations, so many people jokingly call him a "philosophical artist".
One of the most shocking works in this exhibition is "Brushstroke Impression, Heart Sutra", the latest creation and debut of Hiroshi Sugimoto. An entire wall of the exhibition hall displays calligraphy works of 262 Chinese characters, which write the full text of the famous Buddhist scripture "Heart Sutra". Three years into the epidemic, Hiroshi Sugimoto was trapped in Japan and unable to return to his studio in New York. After he went back after the epidemic, he found that many of the photo papers he had used had expired. So he had a sudden idea, dipped a brush in developer solution and wrote the full text of the Heart Sutra word for word on expired photographic paper. The Heart Sutra is the name of a Buddhist classic. Because it is short and concise and easy to recite, it has been translated into many languages and is widely circulated around the world. Among them, "form is emptiness, emptiness is color" is a familiar statement. "Color" refers to all tangible and qualitative material phenomena, while "empty" means the impermanent and selfless nature of material phenomena. Such a large-scale "Heart Sutra" work conveys the artist's further understanding and refinement of the wisdom of Eastern philosophy in his later years.
Time goes back to 1976. In fact, as early as the creation process of Hiroshi Sugimoto's famous work "Polar Bear", he had some thoughts on the Buddhist concept of "color is emptiness, emptiness is color". At that time, Hiroshi Sugimoto had just started the "Perspective Gallery" series, preparing to shoot a group of displays for the Museum of Natural History in New York. "Polar Bear" is the first work in this series. Hiroshi Sugimoto used a large-format camera and black-and-white film, and used an ultra-long exposure of 20 minutes to capture sufficient details of the polar bear and the background environment. The image of a polar bear standing on the ice staring at the seal he had just killed vividly appeared on the page. This photo led many to believe that the artist had photographed a live polar bear. But when people looked at the photos more carefully, they suddenly realized that the background was painted, the trees were plastic, and the animals were just specimens.
Hiroshi Sugimoto’s “debut” work “Polar Bear” was immediately collected by the Museum of Modern Art (moma) in New York. This photo not only inspired Hiroshi Sugimoto, a young photographer at the time, but also inspired him even more. Hiroshi Sugimoto said: "My career as an artist began when I saw that I had successfully restored the life of this bear on film." The artist resurrected the polar bear, thus blurring the boundaries between life and death, and using art to It expresses his feeling that "form is emptiness, and emptiness is form."
Later, in the "Portrait" series, Hiroshi Sugimoto also used the same concept to "resurrection" many famous historical figures in Madame Tussauds in London, such as Napoleon, Castro and Princess Diana. Wax figures were originally meant to perpetuate fleeting life, and Hiroshi Sugimoto used wax figures as his creative objects. With his careful lighting and extended exposure, the photos are as vivid as real people. Princess Diana in the photo is gentle and approachable, as if she is really standing in front of us.
In 1976, Hiroshi Sugimoto began shooting the "Theater" series, which also embodies the consistent thought of "color is emptiness, emptiness is color." The artist chose the location in an old movie theater and drive-in theater: he mounted a folding 4×5 camera on a tripod, using the length of the movie as his exposure time, and the movie projector became the only light source. In this way, Hiroshi Sugimoto obtained surreal photos one after another. Due to the extended exposure, the theater's interior structure and seats are clearly visible.What's even more surprising is that the entire movie is condensed into a flashing white screen, with no background, no characters, and no story, leaving only a white void.
The animal specimens in the Natural History Museum, the wax figures in the wax museum, and the blank screen are actually evidence of the passage of time. Even though we are afraid of losing, we can’t keep anything.
See the world in a different way
The "Architecture" series of works has won Hiroshi Sugimoto praise at home and abroad, but most people would not expect that this is a group of deliberately out-of-focus works. In 1997, the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art invited Hiroshi Sugimoto to participate in an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of modernist architecture. Sugimoto's mind began to conjure up images of the Eiffel Tower, Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building. These famous buildings already have a sense of age. Hiroshi Sugimoto wanted to capture their essence, but he did not want to faithfully reflect the ravages of time on them. So he decided to use a large-format camera and adjust the focal length to infinity to photograph these buildings. Although the Eiffel Tower photographed in this way looks like it has melted, everyone can still recognize it at a glance. In this way, Hiroshi Sugimoto feels that only out of focus can capture the soul of these famous buildings.
Another group of unique works is the "Seascape" series. Starting in 1980, the artist began to use large-format cameras and long-exposure techniques to photograph the sea and sky scenes around the world. He has traveled to the English Channel, the Strait of Moher in Ireland, the Dead Sea in Turkey and Positano in Italy. In all the photos, Hiroshi Sugimoto excludes all traces of human presence such as airplanes and ships, and only takes pictures of the sea level. All photos in this series are of uniform size, with the horizon strictly dividing the photo in half and using the same exposure time. In this way, all the photos in the "Seascape" series, no matter where they were taken, only have sky and sea water, and the water surface becomes especially silky and gentle under the influence of long exposure. Such a beautiful picture is fascinating to watch. As Hiroshi Sugimoto said: "Whenever I look at the sea, I feel a calm sense of security, as if I have returned to the homeland of my ancestors and embarked on a visual journey."
You can do it without a camera " Photography”
During the process of processing film, Hiroshi Sugimoto discovered that static electricity always interfered with his results. This matter has always troubled him, but one day he suddenly had a whim and wanted to capture these "naughty" static electricity. So the artist purchased a 400,000-volt DeGraff generator, placed a large piece of unexposed film on a grounded metal plate, and used the generator to send a burst of electricity to the film. The entire process did not use a camera, but used film to directly capture the vivid current form. From this the "Discharge Field" series was born, opening up the possibility of camera-free photography. The "Discharge Field" series is located at the entrance of the exhibition. It is very eye-catching. Sometimes the electric current looks like lightning, sometimes like flames, sometimes like blood vessels, and sometimes like a white tree in the dark night.
"Optics" series is the only set of color photos in the exhibition, and it is also the only series with color in Hiroshi Sugimoto's artistic career. Inspired by Newton's optical experiments, the artist wanted to record the rare seven-color light in daily life.
White light is dispersed through his improved prism, and colorful light is reflected on the wall. Hiroshi Sugimoto uses a Polaroid camera to record fleeting colors. The photos are like abstract paintings, and they also restore the true nature of photography: the art of capturing light.
It seems difficult to summarize Hiroshi Sugimoto’s 50-year artistic career in one sentence, just as it is difficult to summarize this exhibition in one sentence. At the opening ceremony, I walked around the huge exhibition hall and felt life and death, past and future, moment and eternity through the artist's lens. These confusing contradictions and conflicts, as well as other inner knots, were all resolved when the artist read the Heart Sutra aloud to the audience.
Dialogue with Hiroshi Sugimoto -
"I hope that when I die, the balance of my bank card will be zero"
On the launch day of "Hiroshi Sugimoto: Endless Moments", UCCA Ullens Center for Contemporary Art invited Mr. Hiroshi Sugimoto to the audience. Gave a unique lecture. Different from the artistic practice presented in the exhibition, the lecture explains more about the artist's exploration and personal interests: fossil collection. In addition, he also introduced the museum projects he has been involved in in recent years, allowing us to understand a more three-dimensional and full-bodied Hiroshi Sugimoto. After the lecture, Zhang Nanzhao, the curator of this exhibition, also had a conversation with Mr. Hiroshi Sugimoto. The atmosphere was casual and humorous, showing us the interesting soul of the artist.
Zhang Nanzhao: The slideshow introduces many of your fossil collections. When did you start collecting these stones?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: I started collecting fossils 30 years ago. Collecting these ancient stones makes me think that people don't die so quickly. I love anything related to the past, like antiques and fossils. My collection is generally made through purchases, and part of it comes from donations from others. Because many people don't know what to do with these stones, and many people don't know their value. I value the item itself. If I think it is good, it has value. Just like my work, a photo is really just a print, but it can also be sold for money, which is the value of art.
Zhang Nanzhao: Apart from you, few photographers will talk about the artist Donald Judd. How did you meet him?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: I was living in New York at the time. It was difficult to support my family as an artist, so I opened an antique shop with my wife. Many artists visit my shop to see my works and collections. Donald Judd is one of them, and he has a very sharp eye. I also know him very well and know his preferences, so when I see suitable art in Japan, I will help Judd purchase it.
Zhang Nanzhao: What do you think of Donald Judd’s sculptures?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: I came to New York in 1974, and for the first three or four months, I felt like I had no other choice. In order to support my family, I had to work as a commercial photographer's assistant, but I didn't like this job at all. Doing this kind of work without any say is not the artistic path I want to take. At that time, I had the opportunity to visit Judd’s work, and I thought his work was really crazy, and I felt a strong resonance with it. And what can I do for art? I felt that I had the ability to take photos, so I decided to use photography as a tool to present art, and started walking around the city with my camera. I never considered myself a photographer, I just regarded photography as a technique and I wanted to be an artist.
Zhang Nanzhao: How long does it take you to complete a piece of art?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: The completion time varies. For example, in the "Seascape" series, many photos are very difficult to obtain. Once I was shooting at the northernmost seaside in Sweden. There was a lot of dust in the tent, which made it even more difficult to shoot.
Zhang Nanzhao: Will you encounter any danger when shooting?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: For example, during the filming process of the "Discharge Field" series, power generation will be involved. Sometimes when the voltage and temperature rise, I don't know if it's dangerous. Like Franklin's lightning experiments, there are always risks. I use electric current to make artworks. When it’s windy and the air is dry, you can see all the hair standing on end in the darkroom. I feel like I’ve reached my limit.
Zhang Nanzhao: There are many series involving Buddhism in your works, such as "Impression of Brushwork, Heart Sutra", "Dangma Temple" and "Sea of Buddha" that we are exhibiting this time. I remember you said before that you don't believe in Buddhism, you are just interested. Now that you are getting older, has your mentality changed?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: I don’t believe in Buddhism. In ancient times, the ruling class used religion to control society, so I don't believe in religion. But many philosophical concepts in Buddhism have a profound influence on me.When I was a university student in Japan, I studied the philosophy of Hegel and Kant, as well as Marxist economics. When I studied in California in the 1970s, I found that Buddhist and philosophical books in English were actually easier to understand. Seeing the English version of the Heart Sutra made me truly understand what "emptiness" means.
Audience: How do you balance commercialization and artistry?
Hiroshi Sugimoto: This problem has become more and more complex in recent years. When we were young, artists did not pursue money, because at that time, paintings could not be sold for much money, unless you were a very famous artist. But today's artists all want to make a fortune, and today's art has become a commodity, which is very undesirable. I don’t know whether it’s luck or unlucky, but the value of my works is not that high. I will use the value created by the artwork for further artistic creation. I hope that when I die, the balance on my bank card will be zero. I just want to be an artist.
This version of the article/Chen Wuyue
