YOD Gallery is delighted to present Kunihiko Katsumata solo exhibition “Right Angle - white next to white -”.

 “The notion that photos are unconditionally accurate has been made obsolete by today’s digitalization. Yet it is often taken for granted that when a camera and lens are involved, the visible reality is reproduced with precision. Of course, this is the fundamental function of a camera, but when the machine captures a fragment of time, the three-dimensional world is converted to a two-dimensional image. Thus, while based on reality, the world depicted in a photo has been transformed into something different”, Katsumata said.

The works in the “Right Angle” series are meticulously cropped shots of architectural elements. At first glance, the minimalistic photographs are easily mistaken for abstract paintings. Where surfaces meet and collide, edges are converted to lines. Three dimensions are converted into two, and the distinctly representative reality of a building approaches abstraction. In the mysterious space that emerges in these pictures, the cubic and planar surfaces seem to intersect, and exist at the same time.

Eyesight is the continuous process of the brain interpreting the light that enters the eye, and indirectly building an image of what we perceive. In contrast, a camera sensor receives and directly crystallizes physical light into a photo. The resulting image is a superbly objective copy of reality, when compared to our biological vision. Yet, a photo is just a fraction, the light of one moment in reality. If you manipulate what is depicted, a photo can make a lie seem like the truth. This is the terrifying power embedded in the medium. In Katsumata’s work, reality is redacted to the extreme, and becomes a different world. This photo series shows us that “you cannot really know the truth unless you see it with your own eyes”, and thus reveals the true nature of the photographic medium. 

We present this exhibition to commemorate the publication of Katsumata’ s latest photo book. An artist talk and book signing will be held on opening day. Please join us to view the work of Kunihiko Katsumata in person at YOD Gallery.