Daidō Moriyama – Record – PhotoBook Journal

Photographer: Daidō Moriyama (born in Okeda, Osaka, and lives in Tokyo, Japan)

Editor: Mark Holborn

Essay: “The Headlights in My Eyes” by Mark Holborn

Language: English

Sewn hardback with illustrated slipcase; 230+ images, of which some 50 are in color; 424 pages, paginated sections; printed and bound in China by Artron

Photobook Designer: Jesse Holborn, Design Holborn

Notes: Daidō Moriyama is certainly one of the most prolific photographers, having published well over 70 books. His photographic curiosity is given free rein on the street and other anonymous places, where he illuminates the mysteries of both day and night, be it in his native Japan or in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, and elsewhere. The gritty images are daring and bold, and some of the darker aspects of life tend to predominate. There is a tough edge to the spontaneous glimpses he shares with us, and we are certainly in his grip as we are reminded about the toughness of life that he presents in his gutsy style. The photographs are rough-and-tumble tableaus in which we play the role of vicarious outsiders.

This handsomely printed volume is a digest of the magazine Record (Kiroku), which Moriyama started to publish in the early 1970s (Issues 1-5) and resumed again starting in 2006 (Issues 6-30). To keep such a momentum going over a period of more than 40 years is an amazing accomplishment. Only “an artist in constant motion” (promotional literature) can develop a style that transcends location and becomes a universal observation mode. The book contains various quotes at the beginning of each of the 30 segments to help set the tone and provide further understanding. An introduction by Mark Holborn provides an interesting discussion of Moriyama, the self-appointed photographic “hunter,” marked by restlessness and briefly drawn to the moment, somewhat analogous to haiku poetry. It is all about the photographer’s self-expression: “I wander around, glance at things, and bark from time to time.”

I have chosen the sample pages below to give you a brief overview regarding the range, breadth, and style. Regardless of the locale, Moriyama is true to himself in how he presents the world to us. Occasionally there is also self-observation: a self-portrait in the form of a reflection. Then also, interspersed, there are scenes with an erotic slant, at other times there is a distinct atmosphere that might imply loneliness or longing. Color is used very seldom, but effectively, either muted or over the top, depending on what is required.

An important publication, well done!

Gerhard Clausing