Since ancient times, the area surrounding Echigo-Tsumari in Niigata Prefecture has been renowned as one of the snowiest districts of Japan and in winter snows blankets the landscape. On occasion of our participation in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2012, we felt it necessary to reexamine the relationship that exists between nature and humankind, leading to the commencement of the work that comprises this photographic series.
Produced over a period of approximately two years, from 2012 to 2014, this series of photographs underwent a fundamental change in direction due to the fact that during the course of working on it, we came to live in Japan. Our initial intention for this series was to reflect a worldview based on the image created by the origin of the name of this area, ‘Tsumari’ and its local legends. We wandered through the snow-covered maze with no clear objective, imaging a story of a man and a woman who seized by extreme emotions while living within Tsumari’s harsh nature environment. However, as the series progressed, we began to question the necessity of burying ourselves at this time in a worldview comprising of hackneyed aesthetics with no sense of the future. Despite our loss of direction we continued to photograph and just as we were about to give up all hope of completion, we returned to the basis of creativity, namely we asked ourselves ‘what do we need to aspire to in order to demonstrate our present attitude towards life?’ We were saved by the crystalline waters of the melted snow from the basis of our prior work, the roar of the surging waters seemed to flow through my entire body, purifying me.
Published on November 13, 2014
Book Design: Satoshi Machiguchi
Assistant Book Design: Yuko Koseki（MATCH and Company Co.,Ltd.）
Translators: Bing Qing, Naomi Matsuura, Gavin Frew, Jillian Schultz, Lina Chen
Published by Three Shadows Press Limited and Saneido Co.,Ltd.
Book Size: 257 x 355 mm, Pages: 80p
Limited Edition: 1000
ISBN: 978-988-15677-6-5
This special collectors set is housed in a handmade Japanese paper box, designed by Satoshi Machiguchi, Tokyo. It contains the Tsumari Story catalog, Chinese&Japanese bilingual text, and 10 gelatin-silver prints.
The edition is limited to 50 copies plus 10 Artist Proofs. All copies are numbered and signed by the artist.
Limited Edition / Signed&Numbered: 50 (+AP10)
Prints size: 255 x 340 mm
Box size: 285 x 379 x 60 mm