Book Review: Impermanence by Kenro Izu
Machu Picchu #13, Panorama, Peru, 2001
Impermanence: Kenro Izu; The Spirit Within, A Fifty Year Journey is published by Veritas Editions
Written by Nikkala Kovacevic
Copy Edited by Taina Millsap
Photo Edited by Yanting Chen
Impermanence is a collection of photographs captured during 50 years of travel by renowned artist Kenro Izu. What is truly remarkable about this specific collection is what Izu describes as a ‘spiritual bassline.’ “As one can hear the basso continuo throughout a piece of music, I hope those of you looking at the span of my career represented by the images in this book see the continuum—the spiritual bass line—in all my photographs.” While Impermanence includes works from Izu’s entire career, his perspective is focused and potent. Every photograph possesses a spiritual, dreamlike quality unique to Izu’s work.
Borobudur #15, Indonesia, 1996
Impermanence: Kenro Izu; The Spirit Within, A Fifty Year Journey is published by Veritas Editions
The concept of impermanence is one that Izu carries through all his creations. He describes his artistic vision as being driven purely by “instinct.” His photographs are his and only his, as they are exact moments that he experienced and produced through the lens of his instinct and spirituality. This quality is perhaps what makes his pieces feel so dreamy and yet so enthralling to the viewer—we are looking at each moment through Izu’s eyes.
Fuzhou #118, The Forgotten Land, Jiangxi, China, 2018
Impermanence: Kenro Izu; The Spirit Within, A Fifty Year Journey is published by Veritas Editions
Izu carries an affinity for moments of transition or fragility; that carry impermanence in their very being. The book’s section Flora depicts rich and textural images of blooming flowers in Izu’s studio. This is perhaps the most straightforward example of Izu’s thesis: the beauty of a flower at the crest of blooming, just before it wilts. This same perspective however bleeds through into his drastically different works. Izu’s time in Bhutan was propelled by instinct. Every human Izu captures as a subject is a product of an interaction; capturing moments that are both raw and fleeting, while also influenced by his presence.
Still Life #622, Amaryllis, New York City, 1997
Impermanence: Kenro Izu; The Spirit Within, A Fifty Year Journey is published by Veritas Editions
Requiem acts as another depiction of time, the moments in between that Izu finds most fascinating. This series takes place in the ruins of Pompeii, Izu’s subjects being the contorted bodies of those ravaged by the disaster. Ruins surround the bodies, as well as new plant life. This crux of life and death is seminal to Izu’s perspective. The moment is both somber and hopeful, old and new. It is in these juxtaposed moments that Izu can extract complex emotions from his viewers. Izu’s work is both objective and intimate as he relies on his surroundings, in order to produce moments of impermanence. Meanwhile, he devotes his life to capturing and sharing his perspective with the world.
Noh #24, “Kojo” Mask by Deme Yoshimitsu, Edo Period, Sasayama, Japan, 2018
Impermanence: Kenro Izu; The Spirit Within, A Fifty Year Journey is published by Veritas Editions
Izu’s perspective on the role of the photographer is not to remain completely invisible. It is his presence in each of the photographs that add a spiritual element to his work. Much of Izu’s work is influenced by his travels, and within said travels, his ability to capture people and places in a unique manner. Izu’s ability to find change, apprehension, and connection within all subjects, even landscapes, adds the ‘bassline’ to his body of work.
