Born in 1940 in the Kanda district of Tokyo, now living in Chiba. Studied at the Tokyo College of Photography until 1962. From 1967 stage photographer for the avant-garde theater group “Tenjo Sajiki” under the direction of the poet and playwright Shuji Terayama. Since 1971 independent photographer. 1991-1997 Operator of the Haranagacho-bashi Gallery. Professor at Osaka University of the Arts.
Since the 1960s, Suda has used an unconventional point of view and outstanding technique to create a body of work that offers viewers a behind-the-scenes look at people’s lives and the city.
Suda’s eye seems to travel between the ordinary and the extraordinary, creating an atmosphere similar to that experienced in moments of “stillness” when the wind stops blowing.
In the early 1970s, Issei Suda began capturing impressions of predominantly rural festivals (known as “Matsuri”) with his camera. Unlike Provoke artists such as Shomei Tomatsu, who preferred raw, dynamic images, Issei Suda used a medium-format camera. This approach resulted in concentrated image forms in which the people and views depicted took center stage. Partly due to the slower nature of the photographic technology used, the subjects of the portraits were able to prepare themselves for being photographed. The images show them as rigid as sculptures, dressed in festive finery, as if they were actors in an unknown play.
Issei Suda’s perception of such environments was influenced by the legendary avant-garde theater group “Tenjo Sajiki,” led by Shuji Terayama. From 1967, Suda was the group’s theater photographer. In 1968, a book about the troupe was published, featuring photographs by Issei Suda and Daido Moriyama. Suda’s work with Shuji Terayama was the catalyst for his study of “Fushi Kaden,” a treatise written in the early 15th century by the Japanese Noh theater master Zeami (1363-1443). In this treatise on the aristocratic Noh theater, Zeami explores in great depth the metaphor of the flower, a deeply rooted symbol in Japanese culture. He compares the aesthetic principle of growth to that of the ever-changing flower. Creative power comes from the beauty and sensuality of the flower – also a symbol of youth – and from the repetition of the familiar, skillfully interwoven with the unknown. What resonates unseen fills the scene with new life: : “If hidden, acting shows the Flower; if unhidden, it cannot” (Zeami).
Issei Suda’s photographs are characterized by an aesthetic of time standing still, reflecting the medium of photography itself, which can only capture a single moment, never the flow of time. With their festive clothing and poses, the people and scenes depicted are far removed from everyday reality. The photographs take on a slightly surreal, indefinable character. Photography becomes a stage with conscious or unconscious actors who, through Suda’s photographs, become part of a world of art: “The matter-of-factness of Suda’s photography gives a sense of balance and detachment while suggesting an otherworldliness.” (Ryuichi Knack)
