A new documentary explores Japan’s radical post-war photography and arts scene
Avant-Garde Pioneers — Focusing on the likes of Daidō Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Eikoh Hosoe and many more, the film highlights the swell of creativity in the ’60s, at a time of huge economic change coupled with cultural tensions.
A new documentary, Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers, revisits the explosion of creativity in ’60s post-war Japan, and the leaders of its radical arts scene.
Set to be released in cinemas in April, the film explores the work from the likes of Daidō Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Eikoh Hosoe, Miyako Ishiuchi, Keiichi Tanaami and many more.
Various scenes from the time are put under the microscope, from the groundbreaking Provoke magazine photographers and their pioneering use of Are, Bure, Boke (“rough, blurry, out of focus”), to the Japanese pop art of Keiichi, Shūji Terayama’s surrealist stage productions, Araki’s erotic and BDSM picture-making, and the experimental Butoh dance scene.
Their work is contextualised against the backdrop of post-war Japan, which was in the midst of dramatic economic shift as it opened up to global trade, investment and rapid technological change. Yet while the time has been dubbed as the “Japanese Economic Miracle”, just below the surface lay cultural tensions as centuries-old ways of living were quickly being altered, and artists such as Moriyama challenged globalisation’s shiny exterior.
Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers is directed by Amélie Ravalec and produced by Circle Time Studio. Watch the trailer below and see a list of upcoming screenings here.
Follow Isaac on Bluesky.
Buy your copy of Huck 81 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
Halloween in Brooklyn, photographed over 50 years
Spirits and soul — Larry Racioppo’s new book documents half a century of the October festivities in New York, while tracing the city’s ever-changing character.
Cruising on the West Side Piers, New York’s wild side
West Side Highway — In the late 20th century, the area was an if-you-know-you-know hotspot for the city’s gay scene. William Howell’s new photobook immortalises it.
Ahilya Bamroo is Gen Z India’s authentic ambassador
Reel relatable — The influencer turned actor speaks about trolls, beauty standards and youth activism.
What went down at Huck’s 20th birthday party
84 issues and counting — We took over east London’s Jaguar Shoes with friends old and new to celebrate two decades and our new issue, with Tony Bontana taking the decks for a special set.
Inside the Los Angeles scene kid revival
The Rawring ’20s — For the cover of Huck 84, photographer Alexis Gross and writer Anna Zanes meet the latest faces of scene, who are finding freedom to express themselves through its technicolour, unafraid aesthetic.
Introducing our new issue of Huck Magazine: It Starts With Us
Huck 84 — For our second 20th anniversary issue, we spotlight 20 people and groups providing the world with a hopeful future.
