IWAO YAMAWAKI [Hardcover]

Ingrid Sischy (Editor), Karl Lagerfeld (Photographer), Iwao Yamawaki (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

This is the first monograph illustrating the fascinating visual experiments of a very talented photographer of the Bauhaus era. Iwao Yamawaki is an interesting figure at the intersection of modernism and the history of Japanese photography. He began his career as an architect but became dissatisfied with Japanese practices. For that reason he travelled to Germany in 1930, where he enrolled as a student of the Bauhaus in Dessau. He started studying architecture at the Bauhaus, but soon moved on to the photography section where he produced architecture photography, portraits, still-lifes and photomontages. The photographic methods of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Walter Peterhans had a big influence on him. Yamawaki continuously analysed the relationship between photography and the design of spaces, and he often tried to interpret the connection between human beings and architectural space in his pictures.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: German, English, French

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Steidl; Slipcase edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3882436425
• ISBN-13: 978-3882436426
• Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 12.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,889,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Modernism/Japanese photography, February 11, 2001

By 

"yakimo" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: IWAO YAMAWAKI (Hardcover)

Iwao began his career at the Bauhaus as an architecture student but switched to the photography section producing architectural photos, portraits, still lifes, and photomontages. His method was influenced by Moholy-Nagy and Peterhans. This is the first monograph devoted to Iwao. I echo other reviewers' comments about the quality of this edition. A very interesting volume for individuals interested in the Bauhaus, modernism, or the history of Japanese photography.

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Find, May 3, 2000

By 

Robert Byrd (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: IWAO YAMAWAKI (Hardcover)

Being unfamiliar with this Japanese (or, Japanese-American?) photographer I was delighted to come across his book while on a recent trip to New York. Much of it consists of architectural photographs, while other pictures focus on people on the street and at various interior locations. I found Yamawaki's style both sophisticated and inspiring. There isn't much that can be done in fine art photography that one could desribe as "new", but Yamawaki does bring a refreshing and idiosyncratically interesting style to his work. And, Steidl is to be commended for its wonderful presentation of Yamawaki's work. I'm becoming a huge fan of this publisher - especially in light of its reasonable prices. This book is highly recommended.