Wertical presents Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama on GoSee

Daido Moriyama, born in 1938 and one of the most important photographers of the second half of the twentieth century, studied Design and Photography in Kobe, Japan.

His first photo book ‘Japan, a Photo Theater’ was published in 1968 and he has played an important role in establishing Japanese photography on an international scale ever since. He created his most influential and innovative photographic body of work between the late 1960s and early 1970s.

He was particularly taken by the outskirts of society, the red-light districts and the streets. His signature style involves his unique technique of taking photographs on the street without looking through the viewfinder.

This proved highly influential for many young Japanese photographers and also affected photography on an international scale. Moriyama published countless photo books and his photographs were published in various magazines.

Wertical : ‘When it comes to photography, Daido Moriyama is an old hand. Born in Osaka in 1938, he began taking photos in the 1950s, when Japan was just beginning to recover from the Second World War. It was a time of change – when traditional values broke down and gave rise to new ones.

Moriyama trained his lens on post-war Japan’s social shift, zooming into the darker side of urban life. No subject was too taboo or frightening. More than ever today, his photographs remain a stark reminder of Japan’s social history.

Wertical met Moriyama in Amsterdam at the opening of his solo exhibition ‘Journey for Something’ and discussed his early photos and the impact of globalization on city life.’


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