Amazing Grace
Beside a Roman Wall
“I find beauty juxtaposed with symbols of time terribly poignant.
My ‘Goddess’ figures in iconic backgrounds create narratives of
transience or vulnerability; in other images, I exaggerate elements to
heighten drama, or pile up detail to create an altered realism
a viewer may question, yet in time, accept.”—Michael Yamaoka
What Are You Gonna Do About It
enediction/Malediction—one of the most complex images in his “Goddess” series—was the work chosen by
photographer Michael Yamaoka for his 2017 debut as a Salmagundi non-resident artist member. He talks about the origin of the work and the series: “Roughly ten years ago I returned to some ideas I’d explored in my very early work, and I began adding figures and other objects to certain backgrounds. The beautiful women contrast with locations I’ve shot around the world depicting the ravages of time and the challenge of impermanence; I intend the women to also represent goddess figures and suggest a modern mythology. These new works are composites of locations that inspire me and evoke feelings of solitude or solace–shaped by my ancestral philosophy—and the beauty and vulnerability of the human form. Benediction/Malediction combines imagery from my Japanese heritage, contrasted with our modern urban surroundings, and a bit of Renaissance sensibility. Most recently, as I delve more deeply into creating these combo images, more humorous and ironic themes have been emerging, and I strive to tell more complex and nuanced stories.
“Roughly ten years ago I returned to some ideas I’d explored in my very early work, and I began adding figures and other objects to certain backgrounds. The beautiful women contrast with locations I’ve shot around the world depicting the ravages of time and the challenge of impermanence; I intend the women to also represent goddess figures and suggest a modern mythology. These new works are composites of locations that inspire me and evoke feelings of solitude or solace–shaped by my ancestral philosophy—and the beauty and vulnerability of the human form. Benediction/Malediction combines imagery from my Japanese
heritage, contrasted with our modern urban surroundings, and a bit of
Renaissance sensibility. Most recently, as I delve more deeply into creating these
combo images, more humorous and ironic themes have been emerging, and I
strive to tell more complex and nuanced stories.
“Growing up in postwar Japan formed my aesthetic roots, and as a young man I was further influenced by the writings of Baudelaire, whose subject was impermanence and decay. I feel there are parallels in my work, where there is an element of contingency with the accidental juxtaposition of things. Many of my
Benediction Malediction
images of old buildings, peeling paint, crumbling walls, and the wildness of nature reflect that focus. I’ve captured this theme in my travels around the world, from Greece to Morocco, to Moscow, Egypt, Rome, London, Portugal, China, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Japan, plus Alaska, the Greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos, the West Indies, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Azores, and in my beloved adopted country, the United States.”
Extravagant City
Reflection of the Empire State Building
Companionship
Summer Gatherings During the Pandemic II
Michael continues: “I’m so honored to be a member of Salmagundi, and I deeply value the friends I’ve made here. And I’m also very gratified that photography is being showcased here, in the most respected and premiere venue for representational art in our country. “What I hope people take away from my images is a sense of the transience of beauty, but I also hope they see harmony and gentleness. I want people to open their eyes to the sublime—it will change their outlook. That’s what I strive to capture with my camera and reflect in my work. ”— September, 2022
Manhattan Cliche
Send in the Clowns
Nature’s Jewelry