File 5 "Nagare no Uta / soul and soul” by Kiyoshi Suzuki, 1972, reviewed by Natsuko Oda

"Nagare no Uta / soul and soul" by Kiyoshi Suzuki, 1972 

"Nagare no Uta / soul and soul" is the first self-published book made by Kiyoshi Suzuki in 1972.  It is comprised of four sections from “Series: Tankou no Machi” (the colliery town) and his other projects.  “Series: Tankou no Machi” was originally commissioned by a photo magazine, “Camera Mainichi” and the article was issued six times from 1969 to 1970 right around the time he graduated from Tokyo College of Photography.

Suzuki started taking pictures for this project in Tokiwa coal mine while he was still a student at photography school. The idea came naturally to Suzuki since he was in fact born and raised in the same town.  In addition, Ken Domon's “Chikuho no Kodomotachi” (Patoria Shoten, 1960: Chikuho was another large coal mine town in Fukuoka) was so aspiring to him that it was a reason why he wanted to become a photographer.  Compared with the documental style of Domon, Suzuki’s work looks extremely personal.

Suzuki wrote ‘For my sister’ at the beginning and ‘so far days in my home town’ in the first chapter of the book.  They clearly indicate an autobiographical aspect of his work. Through his book, he tried to regain the fleeting memories of his own childhood as if a projector showed records of his earlier days.

Like the excellent first books by many other master photographers,  “Nagare no Uta” established his own unique style that was applied to his following projects. 

The image of a basin on the book cover is regarded as a prime example.  Suzuki repeated the motif of the round container filled with water in his other projects:  “Tenchi Gijou” (92), “Syura no Tani” (94) and “Durasu no Ryoudo” (98). Especially in “Tenchi Gijou” Suzuki was fascinated with an erotic element of a basin and introduced verse by his favorite poet, Mitsuharu Kaneko (1895-1975). (Kaneko made it when he was dreaming of traveling around Asia.)  In Kaneko’s poem ('Washbasin' in "Elegies to Women", Sogensha, Tokyo, 1949), a basin was depicted for cooking by people living in a small town in Indonesia and it was symbol of sturdiness and poverty. Kaneko also implies sentimental eroticism because prostitutes used a basin as a tool for making a quiet sad sound by urinating in front of their guests. 

Another important subject matter for Suzuki’s work is the circus.  Suzuki took a photo of a barnstormer in “Nagare no Uta” and, circus and homeless people in “Tenmaku no Machi.”  Suzuki discussed later that an idea came from the vivid memory of his childhood when his father brought him to a circus. He had a strong empathy and longing for lives of the people who moved aimlessly from place to place without any attachment.

(English translation by Alan Masters and Miwa Susuda)

Natsuko Oda: photobook writer, currently based in Hiroshima, Japan, specializes in Japanese photobooks in the 60s-70s, earned the Master of Arts in Photography and certificate of Museum of Art Counsil from Nihon University in 2000.  Master thesis on Diane Arbus.


Alan Masters: Photographer, photobook collector.  "Vers l'Est", his new monograph will be published in Spring 2014.

BOOK INFO:

Title: Nagare no Uta/soul and soul

Artist: Kiyoshi Suzuki

Designed: Kiyoshi Suzuki

Publisher: Self-published

Date: 1972

Size: 9.52×8.26 inches

Binding/page/printing:

ARTIST INFO: Kiyoshi Suzuki

Japanese, b. 1943-2000

Born in the Tokiwa coal town, Iwaki city, Fukushima.  After his graduation from a high school as a part-time student, he went to Tokyo and tried to become a cartoonist.  However, he soon gave up that option.  Meanwhile, Suzuki was highly influenced by Ken Domon’s photobook, ”Chikuho no Kodomotachi” (Patoria Shoten, 1960, “the kids in Chikuhou” / Chikuho was another large colliery town in Fukuoka) and he decided to become a photographer.  He entered Tokyo College of Photography and completed his study in 1969.

In 1970, he accomplished his first official work, “Series Tankou no Machi” for the photo magazine “Camera Mainichi” in 6 series (Tankou means coal mine).  For this project, he had the opportunity to travel all over the Japan and take many pictures in the several coal mines. Based on the project, he self-published “Nagare no Uta/soul and soul” in 1972.

Suzuki supported his own personal projects and family by working as a commercial sign painter and photography teacher at the Tokyo Collage of Photography over the thirty years.

He had published seven photobooks while he was still alive and "Shura no Tani" (Finish Dying) was nominated for the prestagious photo prize, Domon Ken award in 1992.  Except "The Ship of Fools" (IPC), all his books are self publications.

In 1976 “Braman no Hikari” (The light that has lighted the world)

In 1982 “Tenmaku no Machi  (Mind Games) (received 33^rd photographic association of Japan newcomer award).

In 1988 “Yume no Hashiri  (Street Shuffle) 

In 1991 “Gusha no Fune” (The Ship of Fools) published by IPC.

In1992 “Tenchi Gijo / Kiyoshi Suzuki Photographs 1990–92 ” (Southern Breeze)

In 1994 “Shura no Tani”(Finish Dying) (received the 14^th Domon Ken award) 

In1998 “Dyurasu no Ryodo”. (Durasia)

Bookmaking played a central role in Kiyoshi Suzuki’s career. He applied the same type of binding technique as the Japanese old literature book since literature is very important for his artistic development.  

Recently, Suzuki’s work had been reevaluated at the large institution in the world. In 2008, Machiel Botman, one of renowned Dutch photographers, curated the exhibition, “Kiyoshi Suzuki – Soul and Soul 1969-1999” at Noorderlicht Photo Gallery in Groningen, the Netherlands. His "Soul and Soul" was republished in 2008 by Aurora Borealis for this exhibition.  

In 2010, the other Suzuki’s important retrospective, “Suzuki Kiyoshi Hundred Steps and Thousand Stories" was held at the National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo.  In 2011, “Nagare no uta” was republished by Hakusui sha, Tokyo.