MICHAEL SCHMIDT

Lebensmittel

Photographer Michael Schmidt’s latest obsession is the mechanized, industrialized food system of contemporary Western culture. Using his trademark style combining social documentary and urban topographics, he explores the fascinating topic of how we feed ourselves, from the farm to the table (or the fast-food restaurant). This impeccably produced book, clothbound, embossed and slipcased, is a series of images only – no text – that looks at the processes and residue of the food system in Europe. The images are arresting, and the subject matter urgent, whether it’s a huge pile of discarded food or the details of turning nutrition into big business.

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VISIONS OF FUJI

An Incurable Malady of Modern Japan

Masahi Kohara

The image of snowcapped Mt. Fuji is the icon of Japan, an object of religious veneration, even a symbol of the nation itself. Yet artists’ views of the sacred mountain have changed with the times, reflecting the mental landscape of the Japanese. This lush exhibition catalog from the IZU Photo Museum traces representations of Mt. Fuji from the mid-19th century to the present day, embracing a wide range of work from early woodblock prints to photos from the 19th-century photo pioneer Beato to contemporary master Sugimoto. Its 300-plus reproductions also include views of the mountain through the eyes of foreigners, during World War II, and in contemporary art. A beautiful journey into the heart of the Japanese people.

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