The allure of the “real thing” discovered through reprinted T-shirts【20th UT ARCHIVE vol.1 Daido Moriyama】

Countless alluring graphics have adorned UT items to date. As we mark UT’s 20th anniversary this year, an archive project has started to reprint some of our past offerings. What kinds of feelings and emotions rest in the motifs that have transcended time and are loved by people all over the world? 　Let’s explore this through the words of the creators and those involved. For this first installment, we spoke with leading Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama, whose work was featured on UTs released in 2009.

Memories of a longed-for place, Hawaii, reproduced on a T-shirt.

Q. Please give us your frank opinion regarding the re-release of the T-shirt on this occasion.

A. Frankly, I am happy. That is because I love T-shirts. Simply, I always feel happy when my photographs are brought to life again and reproduced as something else.

Q. The photo used for the T-shirt on this occasion is from your 2007 photo book “Hawaii.” Why did you shoot photographs of Hawaii?

A. From the time I was a child, Hawaii was a place I had longed for that always stuck in my mind someplace. When I spoke with an editor about this, he said, “Well, let’s shoot Hawaii then.” To start photographing, I, of course, went there, and was able to shoot the reality of local people’s lives as opposed to the Hawaii that is seen on guided tours. I thought what I experienced was quite profound, so I went back and forth between Japan and Hawaii for quite some time. As a result, I ended up visiting Hawaii five times in the space of three years.

It is excerpted from the photo book “Hawaii.” The photo above shows Daido Moriyama holding a camera.

Q. The photo book “Hawaii” consists entirely of photos taken in black and white. The landscapes of the Hawaiian Islands radiate a strong colorful impression. However, I believe you transformed them into something “unique” in a way only you can do. Why did you decide so shoot Hawaii in black and white?

A. From the start, it was my intention to shoot them in black and white. I thought I would shoot the islands with my usual approach. Also, when I actually visited, I found that Waikiki certainly had a colorful image. However, after driving around for a bit, I saw jungle-like forests, waterfalls, and scenery that looked like something out of Jurassic Park, which wasn’t always colorful. The city of Hilo, in particular, had a different vibe than the tourist-focused Waikiki, and I liked it.

“Hawaii” is a collection of photos rich with shadows that Daido Moriyama spent three years shooting. In 2008, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum held a large-scale exhibit featuring this work.

Q. The photo used for the T-shirt this time is an alluring one; a motif of palm trees, which are representative of Hawaii, has been incorporated into Moriyama’s unique worldview. When was the photo taken?

A. I don’t remember. Wherever I went in Hawaii, there were a lot of palm trees (laughs)!

Q. What are your dreams and desires as a photographer?

A. I always want to take as many photos as possible that can be thought of as being amorous and impassioned in some way.

Q. What is photography to you?

A. For me, photographs are memories. My own memories, the memories of the subjects, the memories of the people who look at the photos… memories of everything involved.

PROFILE

Daido Moriyama | Moriyama was born in Osaka Prefecture in 1938. After assisting Takeji Iwamiya and Eikoh Hosoe, he became a freelance photographer in 1964. He has exhibited his work around the world and has published numerous photo books, including Japan: A Photo Theater, Farewell Photography, and his Record series.