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「short hope」に寄せて
宮下マキ
  私はシャッターを押す。その細い手で一心不乱に物語を紡ぐ姿を、苦悩で歪んだ横顔を、希望など抱かない瞳を、ふっと緩ませた唇を。まるで骨まで残らず写し出すように。何度も何度も。
小説家嶽本野ばらを撮り続けて三年という月日が流れた。その間ずっと私は虚構の世界にいたような感覚だった。しかしこの世界こそが彼にとっての現実であり、そこで生きる姿は今にも消えてしまいそうに儚く、孤独で、そして見事なまでに美しかった。私は長い間カメラ越しに、この被写体の「生きざま」という名の小説を読んでいたような気がする。彼が在る限り綴られていくこの世で一つしかない小説を。

"Short hope" is the result of three years that Maki Miyashita spent photographing the novelist Novala Takemoto. It's an intensely private look at his life--the first photograph shows the outside of his apartment door, and many of the photos were shot inside. Miyashita focuses on many of the details of Takemoto's room, which offers some insight into the character of this writer and musician who's also a pioneer of the recently popular "Gothic" and "Lolita" fashion trends. His apartment is strewn about with gothic accessories, figurines, paintings, clothes, shoes and books. It's not particularly romantic, and when we see Takemoto outside he doesn't look all that comfortable. Despite focusing on a single celebrity, "Short hope" is far from a mindless celebration of Takemoto's genius. It's a direct and sometimes difficult portrait of his existence.

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Artist Information

宮下マキ｜Maki MiyashitaHP

1975年　鹿児島市生まれ。
1997年　ガーディアン・ガーデン　第10回写真『ひとつぼ展』グランプリ受賞。
2000年　写真集『部屋と下着』刊行。
現在、東京在住。

1975　Born in Kagoshima
1997　Awarded the Grand Prize of 10th 'Hitotsubo' by Guardian Garden
2000　Published 'Room and Underwear'
Lives and Works in Tokyo