YASUHIRO ISHIMOTO: HANA ("FLOWERS") by Ishimoto, Yasuhiro - 1989

San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 1989. First Edition. First Printing.. Softcover. Fine/Fine Dust Jacket.. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 1989. Softcover. Fine/Fine. First Edition/First Printing. 127 pages. Collection of flower photographs. One of the most beautiful art photography books of the 20th century. The first appearance of the title in the United States. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited print run as a softcover original only. The First Edition is now rare. An austerely elegant production by Yasuhiro Ishimoto: Oversize-volume format. Pristine-white pictorial softcovers with titles on the cover and spine, as issued. Photographs and brief text by Yasuhiro Ishimoto. Matching pictorial hard board slipcase. Printed in duotone on pristine-white, thick coated stock paper in Tokyo, Japan to the highest standards. The reproductions must be seen to be believed in their clarity, tonal range, and warmth. Without DJ, as issued. Presents Yasuhiro Ishimoto's "Hana". Masterpiece. Flower studies, all of them rendered in tonally rich and exquisite black-and-white. "Inspired by the immense beauty of the smallest of nature's offerings, these dramatic studies produce a heightened awareness of form and color. They take the viewer right up to the smooth surfaces of rose petals, gladiolus, lilies, narcissus, presenting flowers as cool, graceful creatures" (Publisher's blurb). Whatever awareness of color is elicited by the images must surely be through the imagination of the individual viewer because Ishimoto's flowers are not in color. "I intentionally avoided colors. The first reason was of course that I hoped to take photographs that scrupulously adhered to the flower's form. But looking back, I can also see that I was resisting the usual mundane inundation of color, which seemed to me like nothing less than insanity. I think it is best if people who see the photos tint the flowers with whatever colors come to their minds. Probably that is when my photographs are truly brought to perfection" (Yasuhiro Ishimoto). Ishimoto is pointedly yet unassumingly alluding to the proliferation of calendar-imitations that Irving Penn's "Flowers" (1980) spawned. "Hana" (the Japanese word for flowers) is Ishimoto's subdued counterpoint to Penn's sumptuous "Flowers". The masterly use of light and shadow showcases Ishimoto's achievement as a photographer who will always be remembered primarily as a street photographer. Yasuhiro Ishimoto died on February 6, 2012 at the age of 90. His stature as "photographer's photographer" will remain secure. An absolute "must-have" title for Yasuhiro Ishimoto collectors. <b><i> This copy is very prominently and beautifully signed in black pen on the title page by Yasuhiro Ishimoto. It is signed directly on the page itself, not on a tipped-in page. This title is a great art photography book. As far as we know, this is the only such signed copy of the First American Edition/First Printing available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright, a pristine beauty. Please note: Even in Japan, Yasuhiro Ishimoto was known for being averse to book signings. The slipcase is intact and unrestored. Copies available online have serious flaws. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare signed copy thus. </b></i> Lavishly illustrated with tonally rich plates. Yasuhiro Ishimoto's "Someday, Somewhere" and "Chicago, Chicago" were selected as two of the greatest photography books in "The Photobook". One of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. A fine collectible copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER YASUHIRO ISHIMOTO TITLES IN OUR CATALOG). ISBN 0877016682.