Hiroshi Sugimoto | Fraenkel Gallery
Brush Impression 0831 (Fire), 2023, gelatin silver print
© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
Written by Max Wiener
Photo Edited by Lyz Rider
Japan is a nation ripe with stunning natural scenery, but it takes a true visionary to capture it in all its breadth and beauty. The scenery is delicate, draped in tradition and history, regardless of whether it is natural or urban. This, as well as the artistic traditions of Japanese culture, are directly intertwined in Hiroshi Sugimoto’s two new series at the Fraenkel Gallery, set to open on the 26th of October. This multi-medium exhibition is the true showcase of Sugimoto’s talents, perfectly showcasing his unmatched ability to wear different artistic caps and cover tremendous ground in just a single series. Using a variety of different Japanese artistic styles, Sugimoto tells of his country’s rich history and how it blends in with our world today. The series is set to run until December 22nd.
Tateiwa, 2022, pigment print on Japanese rice paper, mounted to folding screen
© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
At the core of both series are massive folding screens, known as byobu. Their presence is not to be overlooked, and their imposing nature cannot be ignored. Their contents, however, take on a much more soothing tone, showing culturally significant Japanese. On one folding screen we see Tateiwa Rock, a volcanic formation in Kyoto Prefecture, and opposing it are wisteria vines blooming at the Kasuga-Taisha Shinto Shrine. The richness of the imagery is incredible, and the images themselves are much more significant than people think; they are printed on traditional Japanese Washi paper. While it may appear to be a small detail, this is a signature of Sugimoto’s work. He wants you to look deeper, far past what the common eye spots as they pass through the Fraenkel Gallery. Such minutiae makes his work more personal, more meaningful. Looking at these byobu you feel as though you’re being transported to a different world; where the rich cultural transitions of Japan interlock with your own.
Brush Impression 0868 (Flame), 2023, gelatin silver print
© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
Brush Impression 0897 (Fire), 2023, gelatin silver print
© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
Paired with Sugimoto’s folding screens is his series Brush Impression, where he creates kanji, the form of Japanese language based on Chinese pictograms, and hiragana, phonetic characters used in Japanese. According to the gallery, Sugimoto has long been interested in the art of calligraphy, and here we see his youthful interest in the subject take on a tremendous form. The characters in the work represent forces like fire and water, setting the scene for the powerful expression that is to come. His lines and brushstrokes are warm and delicate, seemingly aided by the hand of a higher artistic power. Each shift in color, even on the greyscale, represents a new layer of depth to the work, leaving you wanting more, craving the answers.
Brush Impression (Iroha Song) (detail), 2023, 48 gelatin silver prints
© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco
Each panel of work represents a new possibility, a new outcome even, and your cosmic consciousness takes over and fully allows you to lose yourself in the work. Even in black and white, your mind is full with the ripe color of possibility. Only a man like Hiroshi Sugimoto has been consistently able to do just this, and his now sixteenth series with Fraenkel only proves that he’s here to stay.
