Exhibiting seminal works from Japan's Golden Age of photography, Michael Hoppen's Frieze Masters booth provides a snapshot of one of the richest periods in the medium's history
The emergence of a radically experimental and intensely collaborative group of Japanese photographers between 1957 and 1972 represents one of the most ground-breaking contributions to the art form in the 20th century. While the communal anguish at the cataclysmic events at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, compounded by the convulsive transformations Japanese society underwent during US occupation, galvanised artists in every medium, the fast and intuitive qualities of photography made it an especially expressive tool to capture the post-war experience of the nation.
"It was clear to me, when I first encountered their work, that I was looking at a completely new visual language," says Michael Hoppen, whose eponymous gallery is showcasing seminal works by members of this iconic generation at London's Frieze Masters. "This language broke all the rules, but there was a strong narrative thread running throughout. It was like listening to music. The more I listened, the more fluent I became. And through this fluency, I have been able to navigate my way around the various artists and estates over the years, so I am thrilled to be bringing these very special and rarely seen works to the table at Frieze Masters today."
