REVIEW: NOBUYOSHI ARAKI AT MICHAEL HOPPEN GALLERY

Araki’s practice is diverse to say the least, reflecting numerous aspects of Japanese culture and society, from the ordinary to the bizarre. This show falls into the latter category, and consists of some of his most controversial work, a series of photographs of women, many dressed (or undressed) in traditional costume, tied up in Japanese rope bondage. Interspersed amongst these are variations on this theme, several women untied and some more significant digressions, including polaroids of rather suggestive looking flowers and a close-up of a woman’s face on a highly pixelated television screen.