Issei Suda

Issei Suda (*1940)

Tokyo

These two works are silver gelatin prints the first is titled Hakata Fukata and the second image is titled Ajigawa.

Hakata Fukata is a striking image that sees an everyday transformed into a realm of abnormality - where has the top half of this person disappeared to? Their pose remains so casual, as if waiting for a person to arrive, if their top half were there I imagine it would have been leaning up against the wall. 

The cropping it tight and the architectural elements in this images contrast nicely with this persons slouchy pants and pose. 

I would like to imagine that the top half of the body was like hey I want to go do this over here but the bottom half was like um I think I just want to chill here thanks so they split. What is fabulous about this image is that it absurdity makes the viewer question the narrative unfolding in the scene. 

What a surprise - I am drawn to an image that involves a leisurely beach activity.

This photo is great on many levels but what captures my eye the most is the alluring combination of textures. Looking at this photo I can basically feel the grittiness of the sand between my toes, the warmth and softness of the towel and the slimy body oil to get that summer glow!

This photo is really honest as it captures a real essence of being at the beach, especially the composition and position of the hand to cover the face. The sun is beaming down, glaring upon these beach goers and Suda has revealed their exact response to their environment. The woman's shadow elevates and frames the positioning of her body, placing emphasis on the shape of her figure and also creating a lovely crisp leading line through the image.

There is another aspect of this photo that is interesting to me - which is the angle - there is something slightly scopophilic about this which might be hard to avoid given that photography is about looking but I get the sense that this woman does not know her photo is being taken. If the image is read this way suddenly I am aware that this image is a sexualised experience of the beach in which the female form is presented to be looked at. 

What I see in this tension of ideas and combination of photographic elements is that there is ultimately the creation of something really interesting.