Reading Notes | Yoshiaki Kai, 'Images as They Are: Snap Aesthetics and the History of Japanese Photography', Chapter 3: 'Subject Consciousness and Anti-Theatricality: Ihei Kimura's Portrait Photography'
(Source: Yoshiaki Kai, 'Images as They Are: Snap Aesthetics and the History of Japanese Photography', University of Tokyo Press, 2021 [A5 size, 360 pages]. ISBN 978-4-13-080223-9. The main text is referenced and summarized with priority given to the book.)
Introduction
I began reading Yoshiaki Kai's 'Images as They Are', which had been sitting on my shelf for a long time, to rethink where my own photographic style fits into the history of Japanese photography. While I have tended to rely on a narrative of 'lineage of famous photographers + vernacular photography supplement', this book treats Japanese 'snapshots' not merely as a shooting technique but as a <genre=institution>. It traces how its formation, circulation, and norms were established within the discourse woven by camera magazines, manufacturers, and the practices of photographers and enthusiasts. As I read on, I felt with tangible clarity that norms and institutions have been at work behind the 'snapshot-ness' that I had taken for granted (for a detailed presentation of the framework of the introduction, see Introduction Reading Notes).
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Summary (Chapter 3)
Aim of Chapter 3 (Chapter Overview)
Chapter 3 examines Ihei Kimura's portraits and snapshots, focusing on the challenge of how to avoid the influence that a model's 'subject consciousness' (the awareness of being photographed) has on the surface of the image. Referenced here is art historian Michael Fried's theory of 'absorption and (anti-)theatricality'. This chapter reinterprets the core of snapshot aesthetics as the 'avoidance of subject consciousness = anti-theatricality', from a position that does not equate snapshots with candid photos (taking pictures without the subject noticing).
1. Ihei Kimura's 'Portraits of Literary Figures'
Kimura's 'Portraits of Literary Figures', conceived and produced in conjunction with a solo exhibition held at Yonosuke Natori's Nippon Studio in the early 1930s, shifted away from his previous work that emphasized the relationship between the person and their background or environment. While still within the context of the 'Shinko Shashin' (New Photography) of the time, it narrowed its focus to the subject's 'face and upper body', attempting to capture the 'individuality' that appears in the moment of expression and gesture. A shooting method was chosen that used a small Leica and a 73mm equivalent medium-telephoto lens, adjusting distance and angle of view to capture the moment when slight tension or relaxation in the facial features emerges. This orientation pointed in a different direction from the staged portraits of bromide shops or the rhetoric of female portraiture, and was based on the understanding that the 'moment' arises not so much from a 'one-shot' in a short time, but through multiple shooting opportunities and mutual relationships.
It is also emphasized that a portion of this series was published in the January 1934 issue of 'Asahi Camera', and was accepted and circulated within the photographic magazine space of the time (publication information).
2. Subject Consciousness
'Subject consciousness' is the influence that the awareness of being photographed (self-consciousness) has on the surface (screen) of a photograph. The core of this chapter lies in clarifying, through Kimura's practice, the fact that preventing that influence from 'appearing' on the screen—the avoidance of subject consciousness—has functioned as a norm of snapshot aesthetics. What is important here is that the avoidance of subject consciousness does not necessarily coincide with the narrow definition of candid photography as 'taking pictures without being noticed'. It shows an understanding that 'naturalness' can be established by choosing compositions, distances, and timings where subject consciousness does not arise on the screen, even if the subject knows they are being photographed.
3. Snapshot Aesthetics and Anti-Theatricality
The 'avoidance of subject consciousness' as the core of snapshot aesthetics is close to what art critic Michael Fried calls 'anti-theatricality'. Fried's argument was originally a critique of Minimal Art (1967) and, upon the institutional establishment of large-format, wall-mounted art photography since the late 1970s, a critique of the 'theatrical' relationship between the work and the viewer, advocating for 'absorption' as its counterpoint. While this chapter borrows this vocabulary, it notes that the subject is 1930s Japanese portraiture/snapshots, functioning in a different institutional environment of photographer-subject-medium-magazine reception (the differences from Fried's context are clearly stated in the text).
(Reference: Fried's original argument is based on 'Art and Objecthood' (1967), and as a theory of photography, he develops the issue of '(anti-)theatricality' in contemporary photography in 'Why Photography Matters as Art as Never Before' (2008). A summary of the main points is also included in the glossary below.) (The Claybucket, Frieze)
Summary of Points (Details)
Methodology of 'Portraits of Literary Figures'
Focuses on the subject's facial features and upper body, aiming for the moment when individuality flashes in an expression or gesture. The choice of a small Leica, including a 73mm medium-telephoto lens, was an institutional and technical decision to fine-tune the distance and angle of view to the subject and create a 'naturalness' with little sense of staging.Magazine System and Reception
The presentation circuit of solo exhibitions and magazine publication (January 1934 issue of 'Asahi Camera') contributed to the normalization and popularization of snapshot aesthetics.Definition and Handling of Subject Consciousness
How to control the 'surface effect' that the subject's self-awareness has on the screen and keep it from appearing on the screen was the nerve center of snapshot aesthetics.'Candid' is not 'Snapshot'
Narrowly defined candid photography (taking pictures without being noticed) and snapshot aesthetics (avoidance of subject consciousness) overlap but are not identical. Kimura also takes candid shots in the city, but in portraits, he pursues the moment when 'the subject is aware, but subject consciousness does not arise on the screen'.Introduction and Alignment of Anti-Theatricality
Fried's 'anti-theatricality' is originally a discussion in the context of (a) Minimal Art criticism (1967) and (b) the exhibition context of large-format art photography since the 1980s (physical distance in front of the wall), but this chapter reinterprets that vocabulary by connecting it to the 'naturalness' of portrait snapshots. The awareness of differences (differences in scale, exhibition, and the phase of viewer involvement) is clearly stated in the text. (The Claybucket, Frieze)Distance from "Doll Photography"
Distancing oneself from excessive staging and rhetoric (promide-like theatricality), and valuing the "moment of emergence." This is not "non-staging," but an "inversion of staging" through the adjustment of subject, distance, angle, and reaction.
Glossary
Subject Consciousness
"The influence that the awareness of being photographed (self-consciousness) has on the surface of the image." In snapshots, it is considered ideal for this influence not to appear in the image.Candid Photo
A technique for capturing "natural expressions" without the subject noticing. Established in the 1920s–30s alongside the rise of small cameras and graphic magazines. It overlaps with snapshots but is not identical. (artscape)Snap Aesthetics (Japanese Style)
While valuing "naturalness," "non-staging," and "contingency," it was actually formed and circulated as a product of institutions (magazines, manufacturers, circles), education, and norms, defining the practices of artists and enthusiasts.Anti-Theatricality
A concept by Fried. In contrast to art that makes the viewer aware of their presence and thus "stages" the work (theatricality), it advocates for "absorption" that makes the viewer forget themselves. Regarding photography, it argues that a readjustment concerning the relationship between the viewer and the work occurred with the institutionalization of large-format, wall-mounted photography from the late 1970s onwards. (The Claybucket, Frieze)Literary Portraits
A series of portraits of writers taken by Ihei Kimura in the 1930s. By mainly using a medium-telephoto lens (73mm) to capture the "moment" of expressions and gestures, he distanced himself from theatrical staging. It was evaluated through the circuits of the magazine system, including its publication in magazines (Asahi Camera, January 1934).Shinko Shashin (New Photography)
A modernist photography movement in the 1930s. This chapter unfolds against the background of the context (the scope of Chapter 2) in which values shifted toward the pursuit of "natural" images following the new vision and defamiliarization brought about by small cameras.
Critical Analysis (Strict Mode)
Transplantability of Fried's Concept
While the reinterpretation in this chapter is persuasive, Fried assumed a situation (1970s–) where viewer distance and exhibition institutions—specifically "large-format, wall-mounted, museum" settings—were strongly involved, whereas Kimura's practice relied on the magazine, studio, and salon circuits of the 1930s. Therefore, it is highly likely that the causal factors of "anti-theatricality" depend more on the editorial system of subject-photographer-page than on the viewer-work relationship. This chapter introduces this while clearly stating the differences, ensuring caution in the transplantation. (Frieze)The Constructive Nature of "Naturalness"
The avoidance of subject consciousness is not synonymous with non-staging. "Natural expressions" are constructed through the design of distance, angle, focal length, and time lags in reactions (the use of the 73mm lens is a prime example). "Naturalness" is actually a highly crafted norm—an aesthetic—and one must be careful about the mythologization of contingency.The Limits of Candid Photography
The definition of candid (shooting without being noticed) does not sufficiently cover the ethical and relational issues of portrait photography. Kimura's portraits demonstrate a way of building relationships where the subject is aware but 'subject consciousness' does not surface, deconstructing the dichotomy of candid = good / staged = bad. (artscape)Issues of Gender/Subject Hierarchy
'Literary Portraits' mainly target male intellectuals. While it is significant that they distance themselves from the 'bromide' style of female portraiture, an analysis of the power dynamics—how the avoidance of subject consciousness varies in ease of achievement depending on the subject's hierarchy, profession, and gender—remains a task for the future (this chapter indicates the direction, but institutional historical reinforcement is desired).The Risks of Ethicalizing 'Anti-Theatricality'
If the avoidance of subject consciousness—anti-theatricality—is directly linked to the norm of 'better photography,' it may result in the unfair devaluation of 'theatrical' expression and photography that involves negotiation with the subject (collaboration/staging). Considering the reasons for the resurgence of Fried's critique in contemporary photography (the reorganization of viewer involvement), a perspective that evaluates diverse uses of 'theatricality' should also be juxtaposed. (CAAREviews)
Summary (Conclusion for those who haven't read it)
Chapter 3 demonstrates, through Ihei Kimura's portrait practice, that Japanese snap aesthetics have been established as a design of technique, distance, perspective, and reaction to 'keep subject consciousness off the screen,' as well as that this can be historicized not as a simple synonym for candid, but as an aesthetic norm of anti-theatricality. The mobility of the small camera was not only a tool for waiting for chance, but also a tool for environmental design that makes chance more likely to occur—this 'constructed naturalness' is the core of Japanese snap aesthetics.
References (Consulted during the creation of this chapter)
Yoshiaki Kai, 'Images as They Are: Snap Aesthetics and the History of Japanese Photography', University of Tokyo Press, 2021 (see book PDF).
Ibid., Chapter 3 (relevant sections on 'Ihei Kimura's Literary Portraits', 'Subject Consciousness', and 'Snap Aesthetics and Anti-Theatricality').
University of Tokyo Press webpage 'Images as They Are: Snap Aesthetics and the History of Japanese Photography' (confirmation of publication data). (University of Tokyo Press)
Michael Fried, “Art and Objecthood” (1967) (basis for the concept of anti-theatricality). (The Claybucket)
Michael Fried, Why Photography Matters as Art as Never Before (2008) (re-examination of (anti-)theatricality in photography: various reviews/summaries). (Fried, CAAREviews)
Artscape Artwords 'Candid Photo', 'Snapshot' (supplementary terminology history). (artscape)
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