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16 November 2009  |  Photographs & Prints   |  Article

Fashion or Drama?

Japanese photographer Izima Kaoru has become known for his series of haunting yet irresistibly charming scenes of corpses in landscapes. Collaborating with Japanese actresses, Kaoru asks his models to share their fantasies of a perfect death, with particular focus on what sort of clothing they would be wearing. Quite unlike Lindbergh, Kaoru assembles rather elaborate scenes for his violent depictions, often resembling small film-sets. Whilst it may not be fashion photography in the traditional sense, there is no shortage of fashion’s presence as these glamorous stars are outfitted head to toe in haute couture. This particular image depicts Hasegawa Kyoko, a famous Japanese actress, whose breathless body lies in the middle of the road, bedecked in Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. Although dramatic and intriguing, there is never a complete story in Kaoru’s compositions; just clues, hints, allusions, to get the mind wondering; as if each scene were the opening act to a compelling murder mystery.


Related Sale
Sale 2229
Photographs
7 Dec 2009
New York, Rockefeller Plaza

Related Departments
Photographs

Related Artists
Izima Kaoru

Keywords
Photographs
Izima Kaoru
2000s
Japan
Contemporary
fashion
portrait

Lot 70, Sale 2229
IZIMA KAORU (B. 1954)
Hasegawa Kyoko wears Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, 2003
Price Realized: $10,625