Rei Sato’s first photo collection, “Sun" is on sale!
Rei Sato’s first photo collection, “Sun" is on sale! Her first solo exhibition in Japan is set to coincide with the release!
Rei Sato’s photo collection, “Sun" will be released by Power Shovel Books publishing. Although Sato is famous for her drawings on pictures, this time she presents a collection of only photos.
For half a year, Sato had been taking many photos each week, and ended up with an amount totaling in the thousands. All of these pictures were taken for the express purpose of being used in this photo collection. After a number of days spent deciding which of the pictures would be used for the book, the final number was set at 196 photos set to be published. This is a large photo collection set at 390 pages.
Photo Collection “Sun"
Going back a little more than a year ago, the editor of Power Shovel Books (henceforth referred to as “PWS") said, “If I were to make something of Ms. Sato’s, I would like to make a book of the raw photos underneath the drawings." These words served as the inspiration to begin this project.
This was Sato’s first photo piece, and Mr. Omori was ready to go to the ends of the earth to support her. He was always willing to send her films, and give eye-opening comments on her technique- matched to her method of photography. Mr. Sasaki, of PWS, provided the design for the layout of the book , and edited the thousands of photos down to a massive 390 page collection, saying “these are normal pictures, but they really grow on you the more you look at them," and “the people working on this book together are having fun too." There was no need for work that required patience in assembling the collection – it was genuinely fun to get together with Rei Sato and put this together.
It can be said that this was the first time that Sato had released her work as a photo book. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this project wouldn’t have come to fruition without the help of Mr. Omori.
Photo Collection “Sun"
Everyone, please try to take the book in your hands and flip through its pages. The “passionate" release that Mr. Omori wrote for the book follows:
“The perspective of newborn photos that co-exist with the flora of this world"
Rei Sato is an artist at Takashi Murakami’s Kaikai Kiki, and is currently one of the young artists to be on the lookout for. Although Sato is known for her drawings on photographs, her new collection contains just the photographs- it is composed of just the raw, developed “photo." It can be said that it is “pure," “plain," and just a “normal" photo collection.
Her pictures are objective, and yet not, very structural, and yet not so much so. There are those that look like she focused, pouring her entire soul into the photo, and there are also those that seem like they were just regular pictures taken by chance, without any thought at all.
We regret to say that we don’t have any clear words to describe the photos. What are found in the collection are pictures that aren’t taken or seen, but are felt as sensation; like touch, smell and sense, they simply exist. Like the grass on the wayside, an empty can, or a parked car, we must concentrate and quietly feel the “world." We have no other choice but to be a “plant that feels," or a “machine that feels." You cannot commit to Sato’s pictures unless you have mastered that method.
Like always, Rei Sato continued taking pictures along her commute between her home and her studio tirelessly, and, after a half a year the photo collection “Sun," was born. This book is a collection that is like a poem from the forefront of the modern art scene- an everyday book that came out of the not-so-everyday Japanese pop culture. We can feel the trivial beauty at the heart of her photos that, even when hidden, has a definite eye-opening intention.
-Hideki Omori, PowerShovelBooks
Rei Sato will open her first solo exhibit in Japan at the Kaikai Kiki Gallery. It is also the first solo exhibition scheduled to be held at the gallery.
Rei Sato will open her first solo exhibit in Japan at the Kaikai Kiki Gallery. It is also the first solo exhibition scheduled to be held at the gallery.
Sato’s drawings in primitive green are also popular. Photos from the “Sun" photo collection will be printed out and can be seen at the exhibit. Please take this opportunity to come.
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