Hajime Sawatari - Taste of Honey

Hajime Sawatari
Taste of Honey

Published by IPC, 1986
Size: 44 x 31 cm
96 Pages
Hardcover
First Edition
Good condition

Published in 1986, this large-format book combines several series by Japanese photographer Sawatari. It combines portraits—both fashion and candid shots—with still lifes of fruit. The subtle yet well-crafted sequence seamlessly transitions from the curve of a buttock to that of a beautifully sensual pear, then from a face to the roundness of a fig.
In his preface, the artist explains the choice of the title of his book. He describes the sweetness and sweetness of the first drop of honey, which for him resembles the first stirrings of love. The slight bitterness that follows and remains in the mouth is associated with his anxiety about the possible breakup that would break the sweetness of these first emotions. This text (which we find particularly touching) where the photographer reveals his fears, as well as his images and the quality of the book, come together here to form a gently sensual object where the eroticism of the body and food merge.