Masanori Kamide - The Blues of Monochrome - 2016

The Blues of Monochrome

Masanori Kamide
Self-Published/2016/Japanese/180*180*3

The Blues of Monochrome” is a collection of photographs by Japanese photographer Masanori Kamide. Born in Osaka, Japan, Yunori Kamide has long been active as a DJ and musician, and has produced works for Akina Nakamori and Yoko Oginome, among others. This book, Ueide's first book and recipient of the 23rd Ken Domon Culture Award, is a collection of snapshots of Tokyo, Osaka, and other nightlife districts. As the wonderful title suggests, the book is a collection of cool illustrations condensing the joys, sorrows, and various dramas that unfold at night. The following is from the preface: “Time flies by at breakneck speed in the city. The shutters in the back alleys are clipped as I ride my bicycle. Where's the catch? Another world at 1/250th of a second that everyone misses. The scene that is not enough to take a picture, catch, and steal. There is no color in the city at night. There is only gray darkness and the shimmer of artificial luminescence. What lies there is another world where light and dark, front and back, intersect. Welcome to “Monochrome Blues”.