COVER STORM ta-¢ Ril chi is little-known outside Japan but, argues , the refreshing and disturbing innocen: sees her destined for gi Al pictures © Rinko Kawauchi something before, along rapher who ean make 9 t's so simple, why ei Vt any one thought ofthis uide, published and exhibited originally in 1976 to 20 | 11 | 2008 BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY 21damming reviews rom the cts. Nearly 25 years later Egale ston’s work is correctly hailed 2s being a milestone in colour Dhotography and he is praised the world over ‘The young Japanese photog- rapher Rinko Kewauchi is ‘another candidate for this role as her work is $0 distinctive No other photographer takes images like hers and its even aificult to work out her ineage and influences, 2s one can toftan do when viewing conten rary work Twas so convinced about the Importance of Kawauch's work that | curated not just one but two shows of ner work for the Arles festival this summer, where Iwas guest artistic director Although they were her frst major shows outside Japan, she has gathered a strong fol- lowing at home over the last few years, rst book Utatane was originally published in 2001 but is already in its seventh tition, Over 20,000 copies hhave been sold - though bear in mind that the Japanese are the biggest photography book- buying. public in the word Uratane and the follow up book Hanabi won the coveted Inet Kimura prize for new pho tography. 22. sAmist souRNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHYPrimal fear So what is her subject matter and why are so many people txcitad by her work? Well the simple answer is that it con cers the pleasures and terrors of everyday life. She has 2 knaek for photographing the simplest object, animal or per Son, revealing Bath a feeling of beauty anda sinister undertone. alked to Kawauchi in Ares and we discussed her work and career, Her start in photozra hy was pretty conventional picking up a camera for the first time on a school trip and finding herself drawn to the ‘medium, Buti took her a time to realise she was 2 photographer nat a cameraman ~ Kawauch's rather charming definition of boring or commercial photo sgraphers (to put it blunt) When I asked how many 10 | 11 | 2008 gRITSH Jour photographers she thought there were in Japan, she hes tated and said“a few’. But, sur prisingly, Kawauchi also does Quite lot of commercial work, Including a whole book to accompany a film, As she says i's the final use of the image that counts, not the reason it was taken, Her work is dlstinetively Jap anese, so | asked ne if she iked toshoot outs Japan About’ replied. My subject matter is spintual, not factual so I can photograph anywere. For me the most compeling aspect of her work is the every day teror she finds, and | ask if she is frightened by the world. She says she is, but adds: I have a switch in my head that I can turn on when | rking and this is how | locate these feelings. ALOF PHoroGsAmHY 23When 1am not working I turn Internet to make contact with a scatter of small full bled ito. small group of midwives who frameless images on the wal She believes that we all put her in touch with some while the Utafane exhibition experience these falings when expectant mothers. She won showed larger images placed we ate children, and are frst heir confidence, and arranged mainly in a row. Kawauchi questioning the meaning of to photograph the upcoming insisted on installing this exh existence. She also believes births, bition ‘herself, aided by her hat these feelings are latent in Kawauchi says that birth agent and book publisher. ‘everybody, and that she almost contains a fascination for her, But she is humble about her has @ responsiblity to show Adding: ‘It Is something you success, only stating that she these qualities to oter people n't see when you walk down must be a rea ‘photographer ‘through her wrk, the street, and | wanted to sea now because so many people It and photograph it are interested in her work, Rebirth English as ‘birth’, a subject Asked if she wants 2 baby Kawauchi has a reteshing an [At Arles | exhibited her mast that has Interested Kawauchi herself, she replies: ‘Of course, disturbing inaocence and | recent show arid book Alia, a8 for many years. Fr the project dest everybody? believe that we will hear her wall as her frst body of work, she photographed bath animal In Avi the instalation for name much more frequenty in ‘Alia roughly translates into and human births, using the Alla was very distinctive, a the years to come, 24 animist JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY 10 | 11 | 2004 *