Yasuo Kuroda

Yasuo Kuroda(Kuroda Yasuo 黒田康夫) born in 1948 originally studied economics at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. Primarily known for his photograph that captured the oeuvre of Butoh dancer Tatsumi Hijikata, Kuroda's work is characterized by its ability to “honestly'' capture its subject. Kuroda himself stated that his work strives to “reject preconceived notions'' and that he “tries to be mindless.” This notion of being impartial towards the subject is what allows Kuroda's photographs to depict the subject or situation “honestly.” His photographic career originally began with capturing Hijitaka’s Butoh performances. Although he had a personal relationship with Hijikata and his family, Kuroda notes that he had no “particular intentions when photographing Hijikata.” Butoh and photography are two incredibly clashing mediums due to the chaotic, rapid nature of Butoh compared to the stillness found in photography. Yet regardless of this glaring dissimilarity, Kuroda’s photos surrounding Butoh successfully capture the dance forms' chaos and violent nature. Following his work with Hijikata, Kuroda then shifted to photographing his experiences traveling India and Tibet. The photos taken throughout his travels closely follow Kuroda’s pathos towards photography. The photos honestly depict Indian and Tibetan culture yet they are shot in a manner that's pure and decontextualized. Kuroda’s oeuvre is contrasting due to the apparent differences between Butoh and his India-Tibet photos yet his philosophy of “rejecting preconceived notions' ultimately unifies his work. Although paradoxical, Kuroda's shooting with such indifference allows his work to be such honest and pure depictions.

Submitted by Nonaka-Hill