Kishin Shinoyama (1940–2024) was a Japanese photographer famous for his pictures of Yoko Ono and John Lennon that would become covers for their albums Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey. Another thing Shinoyama is known for is his extensive portfolio of nudes.
Fig. 1. Kishin Shinoyama (bt.imgix.net)
Fig. 2. Death Valley series 1969 (artlogic.net)
Fig. 3. Mai Hosho by Kishin Shinoyama (vk.com)
Fig. 4. Chiaki Kuriama (vk.com)
Fig. 5. Mai Hosho by Kishin Shinoyama (vk.com)
Fig. 6. Kyoko Enami (vk.com)
Fig. 7. Kanako Higuchi (tumblr.com)
Fig. 8. Kanako Higuchi (d2ziran.com)
Fig. 9. Tattooed Woman (tumblr.com)
Fig. 10. Vk.com
Fig. 11. Nudes, 1970 (tumblr.com)
The Involuntary Photographer
Kishin Shinoyama was born in Tokyo Prefecture in a family of the Enshoji Buddhist Temple abbot, who died in 1944. Shinoyama wasn't dreaming of becoming a photographer during his school years. His choice of the Photography Department at Nihon University College of Art was rather spontaneous as he failed entrance exams at the university. Nevertheless, Shinoyama turned out to be an eager student and also enrolled in Tokyo College of Photography. Two years later, in 1961, he graduated from this college and won the APA Award at the Advertising Photographers Association Exhibition while still studying at Nihon University. The same year, he was hired by an advertising company. To impress his employers, Shinoyama allegedly carried expensive equipment with him at the interview. Already in 1966, Shinoyama became the youngest participant in the "10 Contemporary Photographers" exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Ten years later, he was selected to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale. Thus, Shinoyama eventually found his life purpose in the option he chose randomly after the failure of his main plan.
Fig. 12. Miwako (vk.com)
Fig. 13. d2ziran.com
Fig. 14. Mai Hosho (vk.com)
Fig. 15. Untitled, 1970 (vk.com)
Fig. 16. Vk.com
Fig. 17. Vk.com
Fig. 18. Twins series, 1968 (vk.com)
Fig. 19. Nude by Bill Brandt, 1977 (artsy.net)
Fig. 20. Nude by Bill Brandt, 1951 (artsy.net)
The Art of Rock Balancing and the Death of a Man
In the heading of this article, we compare Shinoyama's nudes to the Japanese rock garden. In his early shoots bodies indeed look like parts of the sea landscape. To some, it may resemble the surreal works of the British photographer Bill Brandt, although his nudes are mostly close-ups of body parts with the beach in the background. When Brandt depicts the whole body, it looks sculptural (fig. 19), yet he emphasizes mostly the perspective in such a way that the model's limbs look unnaturally elongated (fig. 20).
In the Premium edition of the article, among other things, more on Shinoyama's collaboration with the writer and director Yukio Mishima, the photographer's superb Twins series, his use of sex dolls in The Mansion of Innocence series, references to Paul Delvaux and Hans Bellmer, and many more pics of Shinoyama's iconic photography.
Click HERE for an article on Hans Bellmer and his dark surreal Dollhouse
Sources: Wikipedia.org; Interview with Tomoki Yumeji, vol.31 Kishin Shinoyama (openers.jp/lounge/lounge_art/1582460)
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