Chair

Part 2: Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes

Part 3: Visions of Japan by Shomei Tomatsu

I found this photobook while wandering through Kanda, Tokyo's secondhand book district, and it quickly became one of my favorites of the year. For some of you this won't come as a surprise given my penchant for top-down photos of things I find in rubbish tips and construction yards.

In Visions of Japan, Shomei Tomatsu presents 41 photographs taken between 1987 and 1989 of pieces of plastic that have washed up on Japan's shores. There are several contrasts at work here as the colors and the hard, man-made edges of the various plastics stand out against the black of the sand and the natural shapes of seaweed, shells, and sea life.

What really stands out though is Tomatsu's ability to further layer his photographs with textures and patterns that hint to the dynamic movement of the sea that is surely just outside of the frame. The layering and contrast elevate these found objects to a level where you look and look to find the things you didn't see the first time around.

With Visions of Japan you see the very simple idea of photographing found objects taken to a conclusion where the ugliness of the Japanese landscape is turned around into a subtle work of beauty. This is definitely one for you found-object fetishists out there.

Part 4: Tokyo on Foot by Florent Chavouet