Masahisa Fukase’s eccentricity, radicalism and experimental style are synonymous with the word obsession. Western media often portray Fukase as a photographer obsessed with taking pictures of his wife, crows, and many other subjects. But did photography really ruin his life and career as many people claim? There’s only one way to find out.
Coming to you from Tatiana Funnel, this insightful video explores the life and work of Masahisa Fukase, a photographer with an obsessive passion for his craft. His family ran a successful photo studio in Hokkaido, which may have sparked his early interest in photography. Although he moved to postwar Tokyo in the 1950s to study and make a career, Fukase never stopped photographing his hometown and family. After graduating from Nihon University College of Art in 1956 and working for advertising agencies, Fukase became a freelance photographer in 1968, beginning a lifelong exploration of the meaning of photography. personal image and identity.
Fukase’s work is excellent and autobiographical. His photos, which may seem trivial to many, reveal deep inner feelings, painting a dual portrait of subject and photographer. He captures everything from street scenes to his favorite places, pets, and people. Fukase’s life, as depicted through his work, was dominated by emotions, with ups and downs brought about by love and ups and downs brought on by depression. He once said: “I work and take pictures hoping to block things out”, referring to his possible obsession with taking pictures of life.
Fukase’s 1991 book “Family” includes images taken as early as 1971. These portraits subvert the norms of traditional family portraits, asking viewers to reconsider perceptions of Surname. He said of this work, “My entire family, whose inverted images I saw in the frosted glass, will die one day. This camera, reflects and freezes the image of they are, essentially, a device for storing death.” This statement reveals the pensive and somewhat depressive nature of Fukase’s personality.
Before gaining fame with “The Solitude of Ravens”, Fukase created works such as “Kill the Pig” in 1961, which brought him recognition. The project is set in a Tokyo slaughterhouse, juxtaposing scenes of fear and pain with a series of intimate portraits titled “Naked,” which show Fukase’s life of contrast and excess. Photography, rather than the source of his obsession, may have been a way for him to process the events and emotions in his life.
In the late 60s and early 70s, Fukase met and married his second wife, Yoko. He photographed her a lot, capturing intimate and sometimes voyeuristic images. Although they broke up in 1976, Yoko remained close to Fukase for the rest of her life. His work shifted focus to photographing crows, a symbol of his pain and melancholy, until he married writer Rika Miki in 1982.
Fukase’s life took a tragic turn in 1992 when he fell and suffered a traumatic brain injury, leaving him in a coma for 20 years. His final works, including “Hysteric 12” and “Buku Buku”, are considered among his greatest works. Even though she was incapacitated, Yoko still visited him regularly, maintaining their relationship. Fukase’s life and work are complex, revealing a man who used photography to understand himself and his surroundings. Check out the video above for the full rundown on Hopper.
