Lines and Bodies

From June 19 to November 17, 2024, LE BAL presents a remarkable figure in the history of Japanese photography, yet one that is little-known in France: Yasuhiro Ishimoto (1921-2012). A key figure of the 1950s and 1960s, he would be considered “visually bilingual” for his ability to combine the formal approach of the New Bauhaus with the quintessence of Japanese aesthetics, photographing the city of Chicago and Japan.

During the same period, Ishimoto paved the way for new ways of conceiving the photography book with the publication of one of the most important works in the history of Japanese publishing, Someday, Somewhere (1958). This book, with its experimental graphic design for the time, was to have a major influence on a younger generation of photographers and designers.

Driven by a quest for constant reinvention, it embodied modernity in photography in post-war Japan and paved the way for the PROVOKE generation, inspiring architects and designers alike with its images of the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto.