Fritsch, Lena
The Body as a Screen: Japanese Art Photography of the 1990s

This book examines the human body as a motif in Japanese photographic art of the 1990s, with particular reference to socio-cultural issues. Lena Fritsch analyses photographs by Ishiuchi Miyako, Izima Kaoru, Mori Mariko, Morimura Yasumasa, Yamanaka Manabu and Yanagi Miwa, focussing on problems of social and national identity, gender and religion. How could Morimura's gender be defined in his "Portrait (Futago)"? What kind of 'social codes' are presented in Mori's "Tea Ceremony III"? The examined works have all been presented in the 'Western' art world. By discussing ten images in a detailed and critical way, Fritsch's monograph provides a counterbalance to the short and commercial texts of exhibition catalogues and magazines. Furthermore, it explores the Japanese context of the works, such as the historical foundations of art and photography in Japan, the structures of the 1990s art system, and the presence of Japanese photographs in a 'Western' art market. 372 Seiten mit 40 Farb- und 14 s/w-Abb. auf 32 Tafeln, broschiert (Studien zur Kunstgeschichte; Band 192/Georg Olms Verlag 2011)