Exhibition Report: Tokyo Photographic Art Museum "Seiichi Motohashi and Robert Doisneau"

[Approx. 1,800 characters, approx. 10 photos]
I visited the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (hereinafter referred to as TOP) to see "Seiichi Motohashi and Robert Doisneau." Here are my thoughts.

In conclusion, by exhibiting the works of Doisneau and Seiichi Motohashi—who were born in different eras and places—through TOP's unique interpretation, I was able to perceive a kind of "instinct" that photographers share. Because this curation offers new discoveries that an ordinary person might not notice, I hope TOP continues this series.

▶︎ "Seiichi Motohashi and Robert Doisneau"

TOP has a series that curates two photographers side-by-side who come from different eras or regions. This exhibition is one of those, displaying works alternately while finding common ground between Doisneau (France) and Seiichi Motohashi.

How works are "presented" changes the viewer's impression through curation. I think there are generally two types of exhibitions: those that display the work of a single artist, and those that display the works of many artists in an omnibus format (I prefer the former).

This exhibition takes a form that belongs between those two, displaying the works of two artists. Comparing the works of two people who spent their lives in different eras and regions is interesting because it reveals a kind of "instinct" common to photographers.

Roughly speaking, Doisneau was active from 1930 (died 1994), and Mr. Motohashi from 1965 (currently 82 years old). Both mainly photograph ordinary people. Coal mines, circuses, markets, laborers, children, poverty. I felt they shared a commonality in capturing the positive, lively aspects of living within those environments.

Doisneau's works, like "The Kiss by the Hôtel de Ville," have an impression of gently mixing humor into sharp black-and-white photographs. Many of his photos feel like they have a message appealing to the viewer (I want to take photos like that too).

I learned about Mr. Motohashi for the first time at this exhibition. Works that left an impression on me included a station attendant changing the express train schedule at Ueno Station, people having a drinking party inside Ueno Station, and dwarf wrestling (I learned for the first time that dwarf wrestling existed. It seems they still exist today). His photos were bursting with the energy and fun of that time. "Yoshitomo Nara's Atelier," a work from 2022, was also on display.

In terms of operations, the exhibition was structured overall to make the contrasts and commonalities between Doisneau and Motohashi easy to understand, and the message they wanted to convey was clearly readable.

Specifically, three points caught my attention: 1) The captions were easy to read, with Doisneau's in red and Motohashi's in green (at a glance, Motohashi's Belarusian works even looked like Doisneau's), 2) Three out of the five chapters had bright red walls, showing some ingenuity (I wonder why only those three chapters were red? Perhaps because it's a quick way to add contrast?), and 3) I would have liked a total of two benches (there was only one bench in the second chapter).

▶︎ Summary

Looking at the works left behind by Doisneau and Seiichi Motohashi, who lived in different eras and lands, I was able to learn what the common 'thoughts' that photographers want to express are. I would really like TOP to continue this series.

▶︎ Today's Museum Meal