Michael Wolf (German 1954 - 2019)
Tokyo Compression #133, 2009
archival pigment print
signed (on the artist's label on the backing), number 2 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

The focus of Wolf’s work is life in mega cities. Many of his projects document the architecture and the vernacular culture of metropolises. Wolf grew up in Canada, Europe and the United States. He moved to HK in 1994 where he worked for 8 years as a contract photographer for Stern Magazine. Since 2001, Wolf has been focusing on his own projects, many of which have been published as books.

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 in 2017.