Early prints of Yokosuka Story, such as the one offered here, are exceedingly rare. In the bold composition of 絶唱、横須賀ストーリー#5 野比海岸, Yokosuka Story #5 Nobikaigan, the windswept grasses fill more than half of the frame. Ishiuchi’s preferred language of grain and the repeated curves of the grasses create an emotionally charged photograph, enabling the viewer to feel the power of the wind and to hear the rustling of the grasses. One of the most important photographs from the project, Yokosuka Story #5 was selected as the image to promote Ishiuchi’s 1977 inaugural Yokosuka Story exhibition.
One of Japan’s leading artists, Ishiuchi Miyako (b.1947) represented Japan at the 2005 Venice Biennale and is a multiple award winner, including the 4th Kimura Ihei Award (1979), Japan’s Medal with Purple Ribbon (2013) and the Hasselblad Award (2014). Her work has been exhibited internationally since 1979 and recent museum retrospectives include Ishiuchi Miyako: Postwar Shadows at the Getty Museum, Los Angeles (2015-16) and Ishiuchi Miyako: Grain and Image at the Yokohama Museum of Art (2017-18). Her work is held in many prominent institutions, including The Met and MoMA, New York; Getty Museum, Los Angeles; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and Tate Modern, London.