Hiroshi Sugimoto : Time Machine

Sublime exhibition at the Hayward Gallery of work by photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto.

I say sublime as a lot of the work had that awe inspiring quality of sublime landscapes particularly the seascapes. Some of the pieces also had an eerie quality like the portraits of wax works from Madame Tussaud’s which looked real. I loved the idea of layers of history in them from the original subject, the wax work, the photograph and us the viewer.

I loved the first baffling series which appeared to be perfectly posed wildlife shots although the one of an early man and women messed with your mind. You then realised they were dioramas from the Museum of Natural History in New York.  I also liked the pictures of interiors of cinemas and theatres. Sugimoto had taken them on a timed exposure the same length as a feature film that was shown. This resulted in the screen in the centre being an intense light. I found myself slowing down I look at them in detail and being drawn into that central screen.

Upstairs there was a burst of colour with some experimental works taken with a Polaroid, a prism and a mirror to show how white light is made up of colour. Rothko eat your heart out!

Closed 7 January 2024


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