Revolution 9: Homma Takashi
Takashi Homma No.9 from the series THE NARCISSISTIC CITY 2015
©Takashi Homma Courtesy of TARO NASU
Written by Madeline Lerner
Photo Edited by Joe Cuccio
Homma Takashi’s “Revolution 9” is a testament to the power of light. Pinhole cameras are built on the fundamentals of photographic light, and Takashi used this rudimentary technique to ingeniously craft something profound and modern. On display at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum this winter is Homma Takashi’s first solo show in close to a decade. Takashi presents collages of American and Japanese cities in "Revolution 9," and he also reexamines one of Japan's most famous cultural icons: Mount Fuji. Through cool tones and high-contrast blacks and whites, Takashi captures fleeting moments, serene landscapes, and bleak urban scenes, displaying his radical photographic perspective of the world around him.
A primary series in this exhibit is “The Narcissistic City.” Takashi creates these images by using a room as a big pinhole camera. In a pitch-dark room, he lets in a small amount of light to produce an inverted projection of the American and Japanese city scenes outside. As such, he is “[using] the city to shoot the city.” In accordance with the title, the city is looking at itself, making its own reflection. This process is a reminder that imagery can be created just about anywhere. The result is inverted, discolored scenes of various cities, composed in a collage-like fashion. Through either red and blue lenses or entirely in black and white, Takashi captures images of water towers and buildings, zoomed in or slightly askew. They feel like brief moments captured in a film, like candid, nostalgic reflections of the fragments that make up the larger story of the city.
Takashi Homma New York from the series THE NARCISSISTIC CITY 2013
©Takashi Homma Courtesy of TARO NASU
His images are displayed in large prints and often incorporate 3D interactive sculptural elements. In one installation, by using suspended circular glass mirrors resembling a pinhole shape, we catch glimpses of reflections from “The Narcissistic City.” This installation simulates the experience of the camera obscura while also emphasizing the meaning behind the series's title as the city is reflected another time.
Installation view of “Revolution 9: Homma Takashi”, Photo: Takahashi Kenji
Another series titled “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” is inspired by the famous woodblock print series of the same name–“Fugaku Sanjûrokkei”— by Katsushika Hokusai, made during the early 1830s. In this series, Takashi presents images featuring the Japanese cultural icon, Mount Fuji, captured through both the fundamental camera obscura and the modern digital camera. Taken from multiple angles and at various times of day, not all of the images show the mountain as the central protagonist. It sometimes resides in the horizon behind a foreground of large urban neighborhoods, but always, however, looming large. The atmosphere is eerie, seemingly shot at the precipice of the sun or moon rising, often obscured by pink clouds or thick smog. When viewed collectively, Takashi demonstrates how subtle shifts in camera angle or the time of day can entirely alter our perception of the mountain.
Takashi Homma mount FUJI 9/3 from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji 2016
©Takashi Homma Courtesy of TARO NASU
The title, “Revolution 9,” is a reference to the song of the same name by The Beatles. The song is considered a sound collage. In this exhibit we see cities and landscapes pieced together through Takashi’s brilliant eye.
See Revolution 9: Homma Takashi at the TOP Museum until January 21.
Takashi Homma Revolution from the series THE NARCISSISTIC CITY 2013
©Takashi Homma Courtesy of TARO NASU
