MASASHI ASADE - ASADAKE

MASASHI ASADE
ASADA-KE

Published by Akaaka, 2008
Books size 25.7 × 18.2 cm
Pages 106
Softcover
ISBN 9784903545264

Asada Masashi was given the prestigious Kimura Ihei Photography Award in 2008 for this photobook. Shot over a period of seven years, Asada-ke is organized into two halves; one part reads from left to right, as is standard of western books, while the other half reads right to left, typical of conventional Japanese books. In the "western" half, the family is engaged in role play and the "eastern" half, the photography is more self-referential. Where the two halves meet at the book's center, there is a short section of texts printed on yellow paper. Here, the photographer addresses the reader, describing his body of work as "a slightly different take on commemorative photography." Each of the scenes are a planned and staged role play involved each if the fir family members and the photography itself becomes the occasion for the family to gather, as opposed to the photography being an unplanned side-product of a family gathering or event. He also thanks the reader and explains the role of the phonebook is a token of appreciation to everyone involved in the process of making the images. Through and through, the work is warm-hearted and endearing, as any family album would be. A Q&A of twenty two questions has responses from each of the four them identifying with the greetings with which they address one another: father, moth, older brother, and younger brother(the photographer).

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Asada Masashi received the prestigious Kimura Ihei Photography Award in 2008 for this photobook. Shot over a period of seven years, Asada-ke is organized into two halves; one half is read from left to right, as is the norm for Western books, while the other half is read from right to left, typical of conventional Japanese books. In the "western" half, the family is engaged in role-playing, and in the "eastern" half, the photography is more self-referential. Where the two halves meet in the center of the book, there is a short section of text printed on yellow paper. Here, the photographer addresses the reader, describing his work as "a slightly different approach to commemorative photography." Each of the scenes is a planned and staged role-play involving each if the family members of the fir tree, and the photograph itself becomes an occasion for the family to come together, as opposed to the photograph being an unplanned byproduct of a family reunion or event. He also thanks the reader and explains that the role of the yearbook is a token of appreciation for all those involved in the process of creating the images. Throughout, the work is warm and endearing, as any family album would be. A Q&A of twenty-two questions has answers from each of the four identifying them with the greetings with which they address each other: father, moth, older brother, and younger brother (the photographer).