This photographer has a theme of finding patterns in life and linking two completely different things together through different shapes or patterns e.g. water droplets and slides link together because they have the same circular shape and in the mood board below, it shows that they link because they have the same cool tones and colours. This Japanese photographer is also associated with the aesthetics of Wabi Sabi, where imperfections are accepted as beautiful in life and should be loved. Her work is described to have a dream-like quality to them, which a lot of people find soothing and want to look at her work more often in order to relax.
Kawauchi depicts the ordinary things in life and makes them into something meaningful. I’m going to try display this in my own photography; to find love in the simpler and finer things in life. Love doesn’t necessarily mean a connection with a person, it can mean many things; finding love in the imperfections of your life could lead to a lot more happiness as you would see try to the problems in your life as something to learn from and appreciate rather than a flaw that has top be fixed.
“If an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi.” – Andrew Juniper
“Photographer Rinko Kawauchi discusses her interest in the small mysteries of everyday life, which she explores in her series Utatane (2001). She explains why she was drawn to the sublime beauty of the controlled burning of grasslands in Japan for her series Ametsuchi (2012–13), and reflects on how her photography comes from a state between dreams and waking.”
Photo Analysis
When looking into the technical parts of the photo and the way the photo was taken through the camera lens the lighting looks like natural lighting, possibly from a cloudy day. The lighting also allows there to be cooler tones in the photograph and contrasts nicely with the warmer tones coming from the burning cigarette. As well as the contrast in colour, the contrast in in darker and lighter tones in shown on the person’s hand in the photo; where the skin shines from the direst light and then the darker cool toned shadow contrasting with it. The contrast between the shadows and highlights isn’t too drastic, the only black shown in the photo in on the cigarette which pin points it as the focus of the photo. When looking the aperture the depth of field doesn’t seem to be very shallow in this photograph as the whole photo seems to be fairly blurry and out of focus.Looking into the ISO, the photo seems to have a very low sensitivity meaning it the photo appears to be a bit grainier than the average photo. There is also not a lot of tonal range and contrast, the tones and colours seem to quite neutral.
Observing the visual representation in this photograph, there doesn’t seem too much tonal range when it comes to the main focus of the photograph (the cigarette being hold in the models hand), although the burning part of the cigarette in contrast with the cool background, makes the photo have some differentiation from the background compared to the warm light tones coming from the burning cigarette. Due to the lack of sharpness being shown in the photo, defined textures are difficult to pick out. The photograph is clearly 2D and due to it being blurry it can’t have the 3D concept of coming alive through the photo. There is a repetitive theme throughout Rinko Kawauchi’s photographs of cool tones which has connotations of gloominess and calmness.
Contextually and conceptually, this photograph is meant to make the observer think about imperfections. The way humans destroy their bodies due to addiction is a imperfect part of humans. The actual photo reflects imperfections due to the blurriness and empty space. The cool toned empty background show the coldness surrounded in people’s lives and where there is room for improvement and happiness. The only warm toned part of the photo the imperfection in a persons life which is a cigarette. I think the meaning behind this is meant to be that anyone will try and find happiness in anything and sometimes they take a wrong route and follow through with addictions, which in the long run, will only bring less happiness.