spine and slipcase of Sentimental Journey, Winter Journey, 1991
© Nobuyoshi Araki
Nobuyoshi Araki‘s Sentimental Journey, Winter Journey has always been on my list of desired books. I came across a copy recently that wasn’t out of my price range and went for it.
As I’ve mentioned before, this book has two parts: “Sentimental Journey” includes photos of Araki’s honeymoon with his wife Yoko and “Winter Journey” is a photo diary of Yoko’s final months before passing away in January of 1990.
Araki once said of this work and of his wife,
If I hadn’t documented her death, both the description of my state of mind and my declaration of love would have been incomplete. I found consolation in unmasking lust and loss, by staging a bitter confrontation between symbols. After Yoko’s death, I didn’t want to photograph anything but life – honestly. Yet every time I pressed the button, I ended up close to death, because to photograph is to stop time.
A year after Yoko’s death, he published the book.
Yoko, 1971 (from “Sentimental Journey”)
© Nobuyoshi Araki
What is inside is beautiful, honest and touching, unlike any other work by Araki.
10 Comments
February 6, 2008 – 9:51 pm
I never get tired of looking at his work, it always cheers me up when I am feeling down.
February 7, 2008 – 12:04 am
What makes a good portrait? This photo does, such incredible and touching work.
February 7, 2008 – 8:34 am
Shane…..that is a great book! I was thinking…..you should be in charge of putting together the 2008 March Madness Photography Book Tournament.
February 7, 2008 – 12:13 pm
There’s a pretty great documentary about him (and his influence on contemporary Japanese culture) called Arakimentary.
February 7, 2008 – 1:14 pm
Saw Arakimentari too, not the most impartial piece of documentary but one can still draw his own conclusions.
When you say “unlike any other work by Araki” I’m not sure if you mean that this is the MOST honest and touching of all his very honest and touching works, or that this is the ONLY honest and touching work. If it’s the latest I couldn’t agree less… I’m thinking for instance of his very early “neorealist” inspired street work…
How much did the book cost you?
February 7, 2008 – 6:13 pm
Anisha – Yes, I have seen Arakimentari. I think I rented it a while back from Netflix. There’s a nice slide show of the work from “Sentimental Journey” in the documentary.
Tom√© – I had meant to say that, in my eyes, it’s the most honest and poignant of all of his work. Much of what I’ve seen doesn’t strike me as being particularly moving, but he does have some other work that is noteworthy besides this series. Can you direct me/readers to some of his early “neorealist” work online? That’d be great. As for what I payed, I found a great deal on the book and spent less than half of what you generally see it for online (usually it’s priced anywhere between $140 and $200).
February 8, 2008 – 10:06 pm
lucky you, first Goldin now Araki. What and odd couple they would make, haha .)
best i could find: http://community.livejournal.com/babyart/336892.html?thread=1887484
December 15, 2008 – 10:09 pm
http://www.japanexposures.com/books/product_info.php?products_id=10306&osCsid=658ddf02bf386c4ccb4564aa1d26ffb6
New, about 40$, from Japan. The American prices for Japanese books are crazy.
February 18, 2010 – 3:00 pm
you just helped the moma library identify our copy of the original we’ve had in backlog. so add that to the list of wonderful things you accomplish.
February 18, 2010 – 3:17 pm
Brilliant! Glad to be of assistance, ha.
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