7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An underground beauty, November 3, 2003
This review is from: Tokyo Nobody (Paperback)
I was fortunate enough to come across a copy of this book in the stacks at a large NYC bookstore and snapped it up after leafing through just a few pages. This book is a body of work of about 70 color photographs of places in and around Tokyo. They are of architectural subjects and are unique in that (through what I've decided must have been a technique based on long exposures) they show these areas completely devoid of people. There isn't a single human being in any of the images in this book. The effect is striking in some photographs, and in others it's a secondary consideration that you only come to realize after looking at the image for a bit.
The photographs are gorgeously reproduced and printed in this volume. They are sharp, vibrant, and have a subtelty to them not found in many garishly-colored photo books of Tokyo. This is a fine art piece, as I take it, and it serves that purpose well. The images are attractive, relevant, and do not grow old with repeated viewings.
I cannot recommend this volume highly enough. If you can find a copy snap it up. It's a bargain at any price.
Edit: two things that have come to my attention since I wrote the initial review. First, apparently his technique is based on photographing these places on big holidays when there is what amounts to a mass-exodus from the normally crowded cities. This addes yet another interesting dimension to this body of work.
Finally, it seems that nowhere on this page is the photographer's name listed, so here it is - Masataka Nakano.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4.0 out of 5 stars
=Another must have reference resource.=, September 10, 2006
This review is from: Tokyo Nobody (Paperback)
If you're an artist and you want to understand spatial relationships in a city without all the people this is the book for you. It's a great collection of images that help you understand the levels of detail as cities receded into the mass of steel, concrete, plastic and glass.
I wished there were more books like this for other distinct cities.
=s=
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No