Daido Moriyama
Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama is one of the most important Japanese artists in photography today. His work has had an enormous influence on the development of modern photography. Moriyama (1938) began taking pictures at the age of 21. After moving to Tokyo, he worked with the eminent photographer Eikoh Hosoe. In 1963, he went freelance and began his extensive and now-legendary oeuvre, which continues to expand to this day.

Moriyama generally uses a compact 35mm camera, taking photos on the streets of Japan's main cities. The images betray the speed at which they are made. Often the horizon is crooked and the photo is blurred, or the grain is visible and there is too much contrast. His subjects range from underexposed, obscure bars to strip clubs and dark alleys. He seems to be interested more in the suggestion of form than in a clear, well-delineated figure. His visual idiom is rough and ready, and he often directs the lens at details that are out of context, thereby evoking a fragmented and stifling atmosphere.

See Moriyama's Sea
Moriyama donated Sea (2001-2002/2007) to Foam Editions. With his donation, Moriyama supports Foam's aim to use private revenue for educational activities. Foam featured his work in an exhibition in 2006. Sea comes in a limited-edition of 15.