Nobuyoshi Araki Photo Works Vol. 1: Faces

"The Works of Nobuyoshi Araki 1: Naked Faces" by Nobuyoshi Araki marks the beginning of a monumental 20-volume series. This photo collection compiles approximately 30 years of "face" photographs. It includes over 350 works, from early pieces taken in the 1960s during his time at Dentsu to street snaps and color portraits of celebrities.

The composition, which juxtaposes all kinds of "faces" flatly—from middle-aged women in Ginza, subway passengers, and passersby to copies of posters and billboards—highlights the breadth and sharpness of Araki's enduring view of humanity. As the artist himself said, "The face is photography," and this collection thoroughly presents the "face" as a space where the inner self and the surface of society intersect.

At the end of the volume, a critique titled "On Nobuyoshi Araki" by Genpei Akasegawa is included. The raw continuity created by the caption-free editing offers a thrilling experience that re-examines the act of seeing itself. This book can be considered the origin of Nobuyoshi Araki's work, delving into the fundamental nature of the photographic medium.

[Title] The Works of Nobuyoshi Araki 1 Naked Faces
[Publisher] Heibonsha
[Publication Date] January 20, 1996
[Pages] 191 pages
[Size] Approximately 150*225*15
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] ARAKI NOBUYOSHI SHASHIN ZENSYUU DAI 1 KAN KAO SYA
[Author/Editor] Nobuyoshi Araki/Author, Seiichi Suzuki Design Office/Book Design, Keiichi Kadosaki/Editor, Akihiro Hatanaka/Editor, Takeshi Adachi/Editor,
[Printing] Toppan Printing/Printing, Oguchi Binding Printing/Binding
[ISBN] 4582664016
[Condition] Used [5] Good (Slight age-related tanning)
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Nobuyoshi Araki (Araki, Nobuyoshi) 1940-

Born on May 25, 1940, in Minowa, Taito-ku, Tokyo.
In 1959, he enrolled in the Department of Photographic Printing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chiba University, and graduated in 1963. After graduation, he joined Dentsu and worked as an advertising photographer. In 1964, he received the 1st Taiyo Award for "Sacchan," establishing his presence as a photographer.

In 1971, he published "Sentimental Journey," a self-published photobook documenting his honeymoon with his colleague Yoko Aoki, establishing his "shi-shashin" (I-photography) style. In 1972, he left Dentsu to become a freelancer, photographing a wide range of subjects including nudes, cityscapes, flowers, his beloved cat Chiro, daily life with his wife Yoko, and street snaps. His style, which prominently features fragments of daily life and personal emotions, created a new trend in the photography world.

From the 1980s onward, he developed highly dense daily photographs using medium format cameras such as the Pentax 67 and Plaubel Makina 67, as well as Leica. He pursued expressions that blur the boundaries between private and public spaces with his intimate gaze towards subjects and moist depictions. He has published over 500 photobooks and is highly acclaimed both domestically and internationally.

His major photobooks include "Sentimental Journey" (1971), "Tokyo Biyori" (1977), "Shakyo Rojin A" (1990), "Shashin Shijo Shugi" (2000), and "The Complete Works of Nobuyoshi Araki" (2008).

His awards include the Taiyo Award, the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art, the 6th Ango Award, and the 54th Mainichi Art Award Special Prize. He continues to photograph actively and is recognized globally as a leading contemporary photographer in Japan.

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Nobuyoshi Araki