ISSEI SUDA - BOSO FUDOKI

ISSEI SUDAH
Boso Fudoki

Published by Super Lab, 2015
Book Size 21.6 x 28 cm
Pages 32 Pages (double gatefold page included)
42 Images(b/w)
Softcover (hand-sewn)
Limited Edition of 900
Limited of 300 copies with this cover
ISBN 978-4-905052-88-3

Nearly three years after I moved to the countryside beside the Sotobo rail line, I found while driving around the east and south parts of Chiba prefecture, that some of the sightseeing spots I used to visit as a tourist are now within the scope of my everyday life.
When I am traveling, I wonder about the history of and literature based upon the place I am visiting. When I live near such places on which history and novels were written however, I am barely reminded of what I used to read about these areas. Come to think of it, it is quite fascinating that I live very close to the settings of historical legends and famous fictional stories. This is the origin of the concept of Boso Fudoki.
Yet, I found myself more intrigued by the scenes on the way to those places. A beach with foaming waves, grassy waving in the wind, national roads in the afternoon–––these mundane sights that underlie the narratives appeared particularly brilliant. Perhaps, the seeds of “tales” lie in these ordinary scenes.
Fifteen years have passed since I first exhibited these photographs in 2000. Because they are all Polaroids, the colors are fading year after year and I will have to face a time when all of the images are gone from the surface of the prints. Just when I had been thinking about the future of this work, I received a proposal to make a book out of the photographs. Imagine how happy I am to be able to make the images survive in the form of this book.

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Nearly three years after moving to the countryside next to the Sotobo Railway Line, I discovered while driving through the eastern and southern parts of Chiba Prefecture that some of the sights I had previously visited The habit of visiting as a tourist has become part of my daily life.
When I travel, I wonder about history and literature depending on the place I visit. However, when I live near these places about which history and novels have been written, I barely remember what I used to read about these areas. Come to think of it, it is quite fascinating to live very close to the settings of famous historical legends and fictional stories. This is the origin of the concept of Boso Fudoki.
Yet I found myself more intrigued by the scenes on the way to these places. A beach with foaming waves, grasses swaying in the wind, national roads in the afternoon ––– these mundane views that underlie the stories are particularly brilliant. Perhaps the seeds of the “tales” lie in these ordinary scenes.
Fifteen years have passed since I first exhibited these photographs in 2000. Since they are all Polaroids, the colours fade from year to year and I will have to face a time when all the images will have disappeared from the surface of the prints. Just when I was thinking about the future of this work, I received an offer to make a book from the photographs. Imagine how happy I am to be able to keep the images alive in the form of this book.