Arcspace.com presents the architectural photography series
AKIRA TAKAUE edited by Pygmalion Karatzas www.arcspace.com/the-camera
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 2
Arcspace.com is an architecture website that features today’s most creative projects as well as the most influential of the past. It was founded in 1999 by architect and independent curator Kirsten Kiser. Since 2012 it is run and operated by the Danish Architecture Centre (www.dac.dk). The Camera section of arcspace is an online exhibition dedicated to professional architectural photography as well as fine art photography related to the built environment. As photo editor and in collaboration with chief editors Morten Scholz and Jakob Hybel, we will be selecting and presenting photographers’ work along with exclusive interviews. With these q&a discussions we explore various architectural photography aspects such as: the background biography and influences, the overall vision and approach, the relationship between architects and photographers, specific key projects in assignments and personal work, film and digital, print and online means of production and distribution, business aspects of the industry, editing, commercial and artistic expressions, gear and technological advancements, awareness and transformative experiences, the interaction between people and their built environment, movements, styles and sub-genres, future plans and broader collaborations between photography and architecture, workshops, teaching, apprenticeship. DAC’s goal is to disseminate knowledge about architecture and urban development, to create a broad interest for new ideas traversing traditional boundaries, and to show how architecture creates cultural and economic assets for people, the industry and society at large. With this project an integral approach is put into practice by applying it to the framing of the project itself and presenting cases which fill in the pieces and enrich the content. Editorial and fine art architectural photography is thus explored further documenting a comprehensive spectrum of the relationships between photography and the built environment. Features include the works of: Andrew Prokos, Michael Massaia, Juergen Nogai, John Kosmopoulos, Akira Takaue, Thomas Mayer, Irene Kung, Marina & Moron, Shannon McGrath, Ake Eson Lindman. Upcoming photographers include: Michael Wolf, Roland Halbe, Michael Levin, Joao Morgado, Bilyana Dimitrova, Fernando Guerra, Yiorgis Yerolymbos, Mabry Campbell, Tim Griffith, Michael Kenna, Richard Bryant, Brad Feinknopf, among others. Pygmalion Karatzas Architect, Photographer, Photo Editor. M.Sc. Urban Design
AKIRA TAKAUE 3
AKIRA TAKAUE “My goal is rooted in both the logic of structural mechanics and material engineering as well as the finer artistic elements that make a building and its photograph successful.”
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 4
Dr. Akira Takaue is an architect and structural engineer from Japan, working on high-rise buildings, long-span bridges and other mega-structures mainly in Asia since 1996. After receiving his Ph.D. and whilst working for an international structural engineering firm, Takaue travels around the world producing fine art architectural images rooted in his approach of structural mechanics and material engineering. In recent years his images have received numerous international awards and publications. Directing the spotlight to common structures with his unique vision of flat-shot series harmoniously combining long-distance views with texture and context, and his fresh approach of the ‘crystallization of engineering’.
AKIRA TAKAUE 5
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 6
Pygmalion Karatzas: Dr. Akira Takaue thank you for accepting the invitation to discuss and show some of your work with us here at arcspace. Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you started being involved in photography? Akira Takaue: As an international structural engineer, I have been fortunately enough to visit a lot of places not only in Tokyo but also around the world for various large architectural and bridge structure projects, including my own engineering achievement. Firstly I brought a camera just for taking shots of the interesting scenery in foreign countries. But gradually my mind has been changed. The reason why I’m interested in photography came initially from simply taking photographs of the bridges and buildings I’ve designed; however, recently I saw some wonderfully artistic architectural photographs in several web galleries and international photograph magazines and have been passionately interested in the category of fine-art photography ever since. PK: Could you describe your overall photographic vision? AT: As an international structural engineer, I would like to express not just the city scenery but conceptual city scape under fine art photography, from the point of view of the field of landscape architecture design. My goal is rooted in both the logic of structural mechanics and material engineering as well as the finer artistic elements that make a building and its photograph successful. PK: Who are some of your favorite photographers and how AKIRA TAKAUE 7
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 8
AKIRA TAKAUE 9
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 10
has their work affected your own? Are there other influences to your artistic approach outside photography? AT: I cannot recall their names. I respect all of the fine art photographers in the category of architecture and city scape, whom I have seen and talked in various galleries, photo exhibitions and contests as well as facebook. I’m influenced by all of them. PK: Architecture and urban spaces play a central role in your work. Could you tell us why you gravitate towards those subjects? AT: I would like to produce conceptual urban scapes including the fields of Aesthetic Design and Structural Mechanics including material engineering. And also I would like to direct the spotlight to not only famous structures but also ‘Common Structures’ usually seen in a town. The photogenic subjects regarding structures may not be limited by famous or popular structures. Even if they are nameless and have common shape structures, they were designed deeply, planned carefully, calculated in depth and constructed precisely, which must be the crystallization of engineering. I would like to produce artistic images of such structures based on the logic of Landscape Architecture Design and the structural properties of the building. PK: Tell us a few words about your flat-shot series (‘Meaningful cells’, ‘Modern Vietnam’, ‘Interruption’, ‘Dynamic Mechanics’) shown here. AKIRA TAKAUE 11
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 12
AKIRA TAKAUE 13
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 14
AT: I’m so pleased that you have bought up my favorite flatshot series such as ‘Meaningful Cells’, ‘Modern Vietnam’, ‘Interruption’ and ‘Dynamic Mechanics’. They are one set of my signature flat-shot images. The field of Landscape Architecture Design is categorized in roughly 4 viewpoints such as longdistance view, middle-distance view, close-distance view and texture. Three of them are examined by the Engineer to achieve harmonic content with neighboring objects, but originally texture would be examined isolately. I would like to express the harmonization between the texture and long-distance view including surrounding road structures such as lamps and trains. PK: How did your awareness towards the built environment change with the photographic practice? AT: I’m a structural engineer, who is always considering harmonization between designed structures and neighboring road structures from various viewpoints. I strongly believe that architects or structural engineers should understand not only their skill of engineering but also the expressivity of photography, at least of the focused structures of which they have been in charge. That would be one of their responsibilities towards the public. PK: What photographic gear and post-processing workflow do you use and what are your thoughts about their role in the creative process? AT: Nikon D700 and Nikon V1, and for post processing, I spend a total of 2 or 3 hours with the Photoshop element and AKIRA TAKAUE 15
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 16
AKIRA TAKAUE 17
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 18
Nikon Capture NX2. Post processing is also a very important role as well as taking shots in the site to complete fine art photography. PK: You have mentioned your interest in ‘common structures’ and your desire to create artistic impressions of them, bringing the spotlight to the less famous buildings that we are surrounded by daily, and the collective efforts that go into their production. How has this intention been received by the public and the construction industry from the feedback you get? AT: Please view ‘Meaningful Cells’. The building is a very common structure in Japan, which is a hotel. But when we have stood up from different viewpoint and when we consider interesting harmonization with the road structure, in this case the lamps with ABC signs, a new concept is produced from the scenery. I would like to do my best to take such interesting fine art. Of course, I don’t hate to take shots of famous structures. PK: Although fine art and commercial photography are defined and practiced differently, do you think there’s also a common ground and a trend to fuse their boundaries? AT: I define that commercial photography has the existence of clients, whom request photographer’s concepts of targeted photogenic objects. Unfortunately I’m still a novice photographer. I have not received any requests or orders from clients. Therefore, I’m just producing photography in which I bring my thoughts and philosophy selfishly.
AKIRA TAKAUE 19
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 20
PK: Minimalism and the Zen aesthetic have a great influence worldwide in contemporary architecture and art. Sometimes it might be criticized as a superficial interpretation of this tradition, other times however we are blessed with genuine work that resonates deeper with its principles. What are your thoughts about this approach to work in general and in your personal life? AT: The Way of Zen and minimalism is no longer a Japanese personalized path, but influences many artists in the world. Zen was born in the 17th century, Sengoku Era, but the origin could be placed from 12th century, Kamakura era, when the samurai period started. The philosophy of Bushido (the Way of the Samurai) and Kishi-do (the Way of the Knight) have various common elements, hence I believe that fine art photography, including minimalism and Zen, can be understood between European and Japanese photographers. To concentrate our spirits into an object or the mind, trimming other extra passions and distractions, may be the same logic with photography. Dr. Akira Takaue website: http://takaue.pixu.com Published April 16, 2014: http://www.arcspace.com/the-camera/akira-takaue/
AKIRA TAKAUE 21
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 22
AKIRA TAKAUE 23
Arcspace.com presents: the architectural photography series Akira Takaue Credits: Pygmalion Karatzas, editor, karatzas.wix.com/photo Morten Scholz, chief editor arcspace.com Jakob Hybel, chief editor arcspace.com Sidsel Hartlev, Project Manager & Web Editor, Danish Architecture Centre, www.dac.dk Photography: All images courtesy of Akira Takaue. http://takaue.pixu.com Š 2014 ARCSPACE / Pygmalion Karatzas / Akira Takaue. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission of the publisher, editor, and photographer. The publisher and author of this booklet have used their best efforts in creating this product. Neither the publisher nor the author make any representation of warranties with respect to the accurasy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents of this edition and assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Publisher: ARCSPACE | www.arcspace.com ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 24
Image captions: Cover: Lights Antagonism, Shinagawa Tokyo, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 01. Meaningful Cells, Tsukuba Ibaraki, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 02. Modern Vietman, Cantho, Vietnam © Dr. Akira Takaue 03. Dynamic Mechanics, Tsukuba Ibaraki, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 04. A Joyful Day in Urban Matrix, Tukuba Ibaraki, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 05. Interruption, Tsukuba Ibaraki, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 06. Multiple Lights from the Heaven, Tokyo, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 07. The Ethereal Flying Garden, Meguro Tokyo, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 08. Ceremonious, Mejirodai, Tokyo, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 09. Acknoledgment CANTHO, Cantho, Vietnam © Dr. Akira Takaue 10. A World of Rounds, Columbo, Sri Lanka © Dr. Akira Takaue 11. Argentine Mountains, Mejirodai Tokyo, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 12. Lights Antagonism, Shinagawa Tokyo, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue 13. Irrationalistic Harmonization, Manila, Philippines © Dr. Akira Takaue Back cover: To the Vague World Mk.II, Nishiazabu Tokyo, Japan © Dr. Akira Takaue
AKIRA TAKAUE 25
“I would like to direct the spotlight to not only famous structures but also ‘Common Structures’ usually seen in a town. The photogenic subjects regarding structures may not be limited by famous or popular structures. Even if they are nameless and have common shape structures, they were designed deeply, planned carefully, calculated in depth and constructed precisely, which must be the crystallization of engineering.” - Akira Takaue
ARCSPACE.COM - THE CAMERA 26
www.arcspace.com/the-camera