The UT collection featuring works captured by photographer Daido Moriyama will be released in early July. We have collaborated with him several times in the past, however, this collection features some of his most famous works. Currently, with travel restricted, we can nonetheless see various cities in Moriyama’s work.
There are five works featured in this collection. The featured works were selected from, among others, a series of photographs published in a camera magazine, Asahi Camera and commonly known as the “Stray dog” (1971), and the photo collections titled “Moriyama Daido: Terayama” (2015), “Paris+” (2013), and “71-NY” (2002). These works capture a moment of time in spaces swirling with various elements, including energy, sorrow, and desire offered by the cities Moriyama visited, such as Tokyo, Paris, New York, and Misawa (Aomori prefecture). Although they are scenes that are an extension of ordinary everyday life, they evoke mysterious emotions as if we were seeing such scenes for the first time. We hope you will look forward to the release of this collection, where you can enjoy Moriyama’s works by wearing them.
This photo was taken near the US military base in Misawa City, Aomori, and is part of the work known as “Stray dog.” The photo was taken when Moriyama visited Misawa while traveling around Japan for series of articles titled “Journey to Something” for the photography magazine Asahi Camera. This photo captures the moment a stray dog wandered out onto the street and looked at Moriyama. It was first published in 1971.
Top: Which city is behind the out-of-focus hand? A redesign of a pattern that also appeared in the 2007 collaboration. Bottom: From “Record”（2017）. Tires are often used as a motif in Moriyama’s works.
For Moriyama, who has been absorbed in painting since he was a child, the art city of Paris probably held a special place in his heart. Moriyama often visited and photographed Paris over several years, and in the photo book “Paris+” (published in 2013, photos from 1998-1990, and 2003) he wrote, “I think Paris is a part of my photographic hometown.” As a T-shirt design, three photos from Paris+ were combined.
At the invitation of Tadanori Yokoo, New York became the first overseas travel destination for Moriyama. The work featured on the last page of “71-NY” has been incorporated into a T-shirt, not as a single photo, but as a page design.
Following this first installment, in which the works were introduced, we will be posting a second installment containing an interview with Moriyama. Stay tuned!
PROFILE
Daido Moriyama | Born in 1938 in Ikeda City, Osaka. In the 1960's, he drew attention with his photographic expression of high-contrast and coarse-grained shots often referred to as the "rough, out-of-focus, and blurred" technique. Ever since, he has been a leading Japanese photographer continuing to take street photos for over 50 years. His works have been widely recognized in Japan and abroad and have received multiple awards, including The Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography. "There is no quality without quantity. Take as many shots as possible." says Moriyama. True to these words, he continues to go out into the city with a camera in one hand even to this day.
©Daido Moriyama Photo Foundation
