Masao Yamamoto

Shizuka = Cleanse

Dace-feel.

Dacce-proud

Rigid.

Soft.

Hop.

Pegasus.

Soar.

Poseidon.

Point.

Torch.

Dragon Head.

Hunter-going home.

Shizuka (Cleanse)

Living in the forest, I feel the presence of many “treasures” breathing quietly in nature.
I call this presence “Shizuka.”
“Shizuka” means cleansed, pure, clear, and untainted.
I walk around the forest and harvest my “Shizuka” treasures from soil. I try to catch the faint light radiated by these treasures with both my eyes and my camera.
In Tao Te Ching , an ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu wrote , “A great presence is hard to see. A great sound is hard to hear. A great figure has no form.”
What he means is that the world is full of noises that we humans are not capable of hearing. For example, we cannot hear the noises created by the movement of the universe. Although these sounds exist, we ignore them altogether and act as if only what we can hear exists. Lao-tzu teaches us to humbly accept that we only play a small part in the grand scheme of the universe.
I feel connected to his words. I have always sensed that there is something precious in nature. I have an impression that something very vague and large might exist beyond the small things I can feel. This is why I started collecting “Shizuka” treasures.
“Shizuka” transmits itself through the delicate movement of air, the smell of the earth, the faint noises of the environment, and rays of light. “Shizuka” sends messages to all five of my senses.
Capturing light is the essence of photography. I am convinced more than ever that photography was created when humans wished to capture light.
I hope you will enjoy “Shizuka”, the treasures of the forest, through my photographs.



Kawa = Flow

Is about the world where we are and the world where we go in the future.
Although we seem to be connected continually there is a rupture between us in the present and those that went before us or that come next.
I tried to perceive this rupture as a KAWA (FLOW, river) that divides a plain and expressed the resulting reflexions in this works.

#1500.

#1558.

#1515.

#1508.

#1529.

#1533.

#1577.

#1579.

#1582.

#1528.

#1530.

#1531.

Nakazora

#1141.

#1207.

#1254.

#1292.

#1071.

#1073.

#1327.

#1261.

#1174.

#925.

#805.

#1275

A Box of Ku

#9.

#29.

#47.

#149.

#38.

#253.

#243.

#72.

#94.

#367.

#368.

#190.

#244.

#230.

#439.

#77.

#643.

#3

#927.

#954.

#955.

#990.

#1142.

#1145.

#1212.

#1213

#1316.

(Technical information)
After prints are made, they are textured with ancient Japanese patterns to create three-dimensional effects.
*All the prints shown on this website are gelatin silver prints.


Masao Yamamoto (山本昌男 Yamamoto Masao born 1957 in Gamagori City in Aichi Prefecture, Japan) is a  freelance photographer known for his small photographs, which seek to individualize the photographic prints as objects.

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