Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ Photographs
This article analyses the Snow Land photographic series by Japanese photographer Hiroshi Hamaya [1915–1999] in relation to issues of modernity, nostalgia and discourses of agrarianism in 1940s and 1950s Japan. Hamaya is one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential documentary photographers at both...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Japan Foundation, Sydney
2015-06-01
|
| Series: | New Voices in Japanese Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://newvoices.org.au/volume-7/imaging-the-rural-modernity-and-agrarianism-in-hiroshi-hamayas-snow-land-photographs/ |
| _version_ | 1811301893427691520 |
|---|---|
| author | Ross Tunney |
| author_facet | Ross Tunney |
| author_sort | Ross Tunney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article analyses the Snow Land photographic series by Japanese photographer Hiroshi Hamaya [1915–1999] in relation to issues of modernity, nostalgia and discourses of agrarianism in 1940s and 1950s Japan. Hamaya is one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential documentary photographers at both a national and international level. His Snow Land series presents an idyllic view of life in the small mountain villages of Japan’s Niigata Prefecture, emphasising a sense of community and spiritual meaning that Hamaya perceived to be lacking in modern society. In this sense, Snow Land constituted a critique of modernity. Through engagement with theorists such as Heidegger, Foucault and Barthes, as well as critical writings on agrarian ideology, this article investigates the underlying assumptions that govern Hamaya’s depiction of snow country, demonstrating that the series is shaped by a modern worldview and is tied to ideological discourses of agrarianism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:16:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c17e93e7194409589d54836116b3c02 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2205-3166 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:16:59Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | The Japan Foundation, Sydney |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Voices in Japanese Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c17e93e7194409589d54836116b3c022022-12-22T02:56:43ZengThe Japan Foundation, SydneyNew Voices in Japanese Studies2205-31662015-06-01712010.21159/nvjs.07.01Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ PhotographsRoss Tunney0University of TasmaniaThis article analyses the Snow Land photographic series by Japanese photographer Hiroshi Hamaya [1915–1999] in relation to issues of modernity, nostalgia and discourses of agrarianism in 1940s and 1950s Japan. Hamaya is one of Japan’s most celebrated and influential documentary photographers at both a national and international level. His Snow Land series presents an idyllic view of life in the small mountain villages of Japan’s Niigata Prefecture, emphasising a sense of community and spiritual meaning that Hamaya perceived to be lacking in modern society. In this sense, Snow Land constituted a critique of modernity. Through engagement with theorists such as Heidegger, Foucault and Barthes, as well as critical writings on agrarian ideology, this article investigates the underlying assumptions that govern Hamaya’s depiction of snow country, demonstrating that the series is shaped by a modern worldview and is tied to ideological discourses of agrarianism.http://newvoices.org.au/volume-7/imaging-the-rural-modernity-and-agrarianism-in-hiroshi-hamayas-snow-land-photographs/aesthetics; agrarianism; Heidegger; Hiroshi Hamaya; modernity; nostalgia; photography; post-war; representation |
| spellingShingle | Ross Tunney Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ Photographs New Voices in Japanese Studies aesthetics; agrarianism; Heidegger; Hiroshi Hamaya; modernity; nostalgia; photography; post-war; representation |
| title | Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ Photographs |
| title_full | Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ Photographs |
| title_fullStr | Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ Photographs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ Photographs |
| title_short | Imaging the Rural: Modernity and Agrarianism in Hiroshi Hamaya’s ‘Snow Land’ Photographs |
| title_sort | imaging the rural modernity and agrarianism in hiroshi hamaya s snow land photographs |
| topic | aesthetics; agrarianism; Heidegger; Hiroshi Hamaya; modernity; nostalgia; photography; post-war; representation |
| url | http://newvoices.org.au/volume-7/imaging-the-rural-modernity-and-agrarianism-in-hiroshi-hamayas-snow-land-photographs/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rosstunney imagingtheruralmodernityandagrarianisminhiroshihamayassnowlandphotographs |