Tomatsu in San Francisco
Posted 11 May 2006
Shomei Tomatsu is recognised as one of Japan’s most important post-war photographers. His work addresses his country’s struggle to embrace Western values while preserving traditional Japanese culture. Shomei Tomatsu: Skin of the Nation (13 May-13 August) comprises more than 260 photographs taken over the past 50 years, and is the first comprehensive US survey of the photographer’s work. On view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the exhibition includes works from Tomatsu’s series “Nagasaki 11:02” (1966), documenting the lives of atomic bomb survivors and Chewing Gum and Chocolate (1969), which examines the occupation of Japan by US forces. The show was co-organised by the San Francisco MoMA and the Japan Society, New York, where it was previously on display. It travels to the Fotomuseum, Winterthur, Switzerland (1 September-19 November) and the Galerie Rodolfinum, Prague (12 January-8 April 2007).
