Hiroshi Sugimoto Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden On display through May 14 Admission: Free A+
Washington, D.C., is, as some may forget, a veritable candyland of free museums. But culture at the expense of Joe and Jane Taxpayer does not always mean that the Smithsonian museums deliver the goods; sometimes stuff sucks. In the case of the Hiroshi Sugimoto exhibition now up at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on the National Mall, great quality and beauty is on display for everyone to see, free of charge.
Sugimoto, a preeminent Japanese photographer, has been pushing the limits of traditional photography for 30 years. His work is far-reaching and insightful, though sometimes confusing. He uses a large-format view camera, working in black and white and, as one tour guide was overheard to have said, "he takes what is already art and makes it into newer art."
And this is precisely the point. Sugimoto's work ranges from the obscure and surreal to the obvious and mundane. But in the end, all of his work is a masterpiece. Perhaps it is the creativity that goes behind it. He takes work of other "artists" in their own right and makes it into art all over again. For instance, the first series of photographs in the exhibit show life-like photographs of animals. Look closer and the photo is nothing more than a photo of a diorama at a natural history museum.
Working in Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in London, Sugimoto was able to take lifelike photographs of King Henry VIII and his several wives. It is perplexing in its realistic iteration on film, but clearly, again, takes the artistry of people before him and reinterprets their art form.
When Sugimoto moved into photographing famous structures in the late 1990s, he discovered that moving the camera out of focus would bring a whole new perspective to the art of architecture. Standing back and observing this series makes the viewer understand the genius of these architectural designs and appreciate their status as some of the world's most venerable symbols. His portrait of the World Trade Center seems particularly poignant.
Sugimoto took part in designing the exhibit, and his layout works well and enhances the art. Each series of photographs logically flows into another, adding to the impression of Sugimoto's genius. Not only does each piece in the exhibit speak for itself, but Sugimoto uses the arrangement of the photography to communicate artistically. He has mastered his medium.
Sugimoto's other work includes perhaps his most famous photography exploits, the much loved seascapes. These photographs, as some art critics suggest, brought Sugimoto into the world of the artistic elite. Simple in their composition but perplexing in their metaphorical application, these seascapes are rectangular visions of some the world's great seas. Cut down the middle, sky on top and water on the bottom, each portrait is mystifying. Perhaps the added effects of a darkened room make these photographs haunting and undeniably brilliant.
The earlier work of Sugimoto includes a series of classic movie theaters, started in 1975. These works are taken in some of the world's most beautiful movie houses. By leaving the shutter open for the entire film, Sugimoto creates the effect of a completely white glowing screen surrounded by the majestic and ornate details of the
theater.
While the exhibit takes time to see and fully digest, it is worth the time and effort. It is sometimes difficult to pull off the wonder of photography in large museum format, but this time, someone did something right. A visit to the Hirshhorn is surely in
order.
