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Yamamoto Masao: Microcosm Macrocosm

Participating in the European Month of Photography Berlin, Mitte’s Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation blends the lens-work of its 20th century German namesake with that of Japanese artist Yamamoto Masao.

Image for Yamamoto Masao: Microcosm Macrocosm

Yamamoto Masao, Bonsai Microcosm Macrocosm 2018, Silbergelatineabzug © Yamamoto Masao

Participating in the European Month of Photography Berlin, Mitte’s Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation blends the lens-work of its 20th century German namesake with that of Japanese artist Yamamoto Masao. Ehrhardt has often been described as a “natural philosopher with a camera”, while Masao cites the Chinese philosopher Laozi’s thoughts on nature as a key influence. The combination of both artists’ work makes for a timeless, poetic meditation on Japanese and German natural philosophy. Masao, known for his small-scale gelatin silver prints which he manipulates with paint, captures his fi ndings from nature on photographic paper. Often shot against a black background, the objects appear to be floating – any sense of scale or reference is erased. In the series “Bonsai”, the Japanese miniature trees appear as monumental sculptures against the backdrop of expansive skies or mountains. Collaborating with bonsai masters during his project, Masao’s sensibility for manual labour and incredible detail is extended, with immaculate presentation, into the space: a true Gesamtkunstwerk!

Through Dec 23