Phenomenon

Name: Phenomenon
ISBN: 9787549553730

杉本博司 / 林叶Guangxi Normal University Press · ChinaOct 2020

4.3

Word count: 89K words
Chapters: 15
ISBN: 9787549553730

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Summary

Following Until the Moss Grows and The Origins of Art, Phenomenon is Hiroshi Sugimoto's latest collection of critical essays published in mainland China. The scope of this collection is broader and more varied, with the author exploring art, craft, film, folklore, and folk songs. "Stop, Time" is a short genealogical history tracing the birth of photography; "Honkadori" is an Eastern echo of Duchampian ideas; in "Ballad of the Condemned," he takes up Susan Sontag's unfinished work, eagerly selecting his own seven Japanese films; and "The Words of the Brutes" reads like a literary ready-made: a direct translation of feature reports on the Japanese emperor from period magazines picked up at secondhand bookstalls, as they appeared in the Western media of the time... Reading Phenomenon, one finds that Sugimoto remains one of the rare masters who, from a photographer's perspective, uses seeing to encompass the history and philosophy behind art as phenomenon.

Editor's review

Phenomena is another collection of short critical essays by Hiroshi Sugimoto published in mainland China after Until the Moss Grows and The Origins of Art, and its scope is broader than the earlier volumes. It includes "Stop, Time," a brief history tracing the birth of photography, and an Eastern reflection on Duchampian ideas through the traditional practice of honkadori. "Ballad of the Condemned" takes up Susan Sontag's unfinished work by selecting seven Japanese films in the author's view, while "The Words of the Brutes" draws on period magazines found at secondhand bookstalls and directly translates Western media features on the Japanese emperor from that era, constituting a kind of readymade in writing. What these pieces share is that the author consistently approaches "phenomena"—art, craft, film, folklore, and ballads—through a photographer's way of seeing, probing history and philosophy within concrete materials. The book suits readers interested in visual culture, modern Japanese history, and cross-media criticism; it is best read as an exercise in ways of seeing rather than as mere acquisition of knowledge. The text is dense but the pieces are short, making it suitable for slow reading in sections.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of photography and visual criticism who want to understand the conceptual issues behind photography's birth
Readers who enjoy Japanese film and folk culture and can follow the author's film selections and ballad references for further viewing
Readers interested in cross-media art writing who appreciate criticism built from found materials
Readers curious about the relationship between modern Japanese history and Western media coverage

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic technical photography tutorial; the book focuses on conceptual and historical criticism
Readers who prefer continuous, long-form argument; the book is a collection of short critical essays
Readers with no background in Japanese film or photography history, for whom some pieces may feel disjointed

Reading tips

Read "Stop, Time" first to establish the thread of photography history; later pieces will then feel more directed
When reading "Ballad of the Condemned," note down the films the author selects and look them up later for comparison
Read "The Words of the Brutes" as a translation of historical material, noting the relationship between media discourse and its era
After each piece, write two or three sentences of your own viewing notes to connect the book's inquiry into "phenomena"

About the publisher

Guangxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1986

Guangxi Normal University Press is a publisher known for literature, foreign literature and history titles. Its 1,175 books in the database show a solid accumulation in classics and prose collections, including foreign literary works such as Les Fleurs du mal: Annotated Poems of Baudelaire, Snow Country, Dubliners and The Wild Palms, as well as modern prose compilations like The Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren. History and philosophy also hold a notable share, with titles such as Running Dogs: Clerks and Runners in Qing County Yamen and The History and Thought of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reflecting attention to Qing local administration and modern history. In art literature there is the 16-volume Ten Bamboo Studio Painting and Calligraphy Manual. Its author resources include foreign writers Charles Baudelaire and Yasunari Kawabata, translators and annotators Liu Nanqi and Zou Bo, and scholars such as Zhong Shuhe, Bradly W. Reed and You Chenjun. As public information is limited, this characterization is based only on the books in the database, which together present a profile balancing Chinese and foreign literary classics with academic works in the humanities and social sciences.

版权信息
《现象》简体中文版刊行寄语
神成为佛之时
停止吧，时间［一］
停止吧，时间［二］
本歌取
狐眼女子
临刑者小曲
阿留边几夜宇和
射干玉之黑
母亲
利休·现代
鬼畜的言说
连载结束
主要参考文献

FAQ

Does Phenomena overlap with The Origins of Art?

Both belong to Sugimoto's series of critical writings, but they address different subjects. Phenomena covers photography history, film, folklore, ballads, and old magazine materials, making it more varied; The Origins of Art centers on installation works and tea ceremony, among other things. They can be read in comparison, but there is no need to worry about simple repetition.

Is there a list of the seven Japanese films selected in the book?

Sources mention that in the essay "Ballad of the Condemned" the author selects seven Japanese films in his view, but the specific titles are not listed. Readers need to read that essay in the original book to see the complete selection and reasoning, and should not trust other lists found outside the book.

Can I read the honkadori essay without knowing Duchamp?

Yes. The essay is described as an Eastern echo of Duchampian ideas, involving the traditional Japanese technique of honkadori. Even without familiarity with Duchamp, readers can start from how the author responds to Western ideas with Eastern materials; prior knowledge of all of Duchamp's works is not required.

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About the author

杉本博司 Author

Hiroshi Sugimoto is a photography author included in this catalog, with three works currently available: The Origins of Art, Hiroshi Sugimoto's Photography Essays (3 volumes), and Phenomena. These books are classified here under theory and essays, indicating that his writing combines conceptual inquiry with essayistic expression. Because public information is limited, his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name cannot be confirmed from this catalog, so this introduction takes the works themselves as its线索. Judging from the titles and categories, he tends to place photography within discussions of art history and intellectual history, using text to ask where images come from and what it means to see, while also presenting personal observation and reflection in essay form. Such writing offers a useful reference for understanding contemporary photography and visual culture and is suitable for readers interested in photography theory and art essays.

林叶 Author

Lin Ye is a Chinese author whose writing covers a fairly broad range. Public information about her is limited, and details of her life have not been clearly disclosed; the available introduction is based mainly on the five works included in the database. These works span art theory, essays and miscellaneous writings, and modern romance. Representative titles include The Origins of Art, Hiroshi Sugimoto's Photography Essays (three volumes), Why Is It a Plant Illustrated Guide, Phenomena, and Love in the Age of Capital. Her compilation and translation of photography essays show a sustained interest in images and visual art, while her art-theory writings reflect her thinking on ideas and aesthetics. At the same time, her writing on plants and on emotional themes gives her work a focus on observation, feeling, and everyday experience. Her books are commonly classified under theory, essays and miscellaneous writings, and modern romance, and are suited to readers interested in art, photography, and life writing.