Michael Wolf (German 1954 - 2019)
Tokyo Compression #103, 2010/2018
archival pigment print
signed (on a label attached to the backing), number 3 from the edition of 9 + 2 AP
image size 50 x 40 cm., frame size 53 x 43 cm.

Condition: Apparently in excellent condition, unexamined out of the frame. Framed behind glass.

Notes: Artist & Practice

Wolf examines life in the layered urban landscape, addressing juxtapositions of public and private space, anonymity and individuality, history and modern development. In a diverse array of photographic projects, from street views appropriated from Google Earth, to portraits capturing the crush of the Tokyo Subway, and dizzying architectural landscapes, he explores the density of city life.

Context

A haunting portrayal of Tokyo subway commuters pressed against train windows during rush hour - a powerful metaphor for urban claustrophobia. Shot over four years at Shimo-Kitazawa station, with close crops and blurred, masked faces emphasising isolation and anonymity in densely populated cities. The series was exhibited at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich and shortlisted for the Prix Pictet photography prize 2017.

Notes

The photo book was published by Peperoni Books, Berlin 2010 and Asia One Publishing, HK, 2017. Collections: the Met (New York), MoCP (Chicago), Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam). Exhibitions: Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Fotomuseum Den Haag, Aperture Foundation, New York, Rencontres d’Arles (France), Goethe-Institut, Tokyo, Shanghai Center of Photography.




Provenance:
Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam.
Acquired at the above by the present owner.