Hisaji Hara Photographs at RoseGallery, Los Angeles

Hisaji Hara: A photographic Portrayal of the Paintings of Balthus, RoseGallery, Santa Monica, CA May 20 - July 7, 2012

Hisaji Hara: A photographic Portrayal of the Paintings of Balthus will be on view at RoseGallery, Santa Monica, California.

  HISAJI HARA
Courtesy of the artist, MEM Gallery, Tokyo and ROSEGALLERY, Los Angeles

Using medium-format film and meticulous in-camera methods, Hisaji Hara reinvents the legendary and provocative paintings of highly revered 20th century figurative painter, Balthus (1908-2001).  In his staged tableaux, Hisaji Hara appropriates the adolescent subjects featured in Balthus’ canvases, paying particular attention to details in posture and expression.  The setting as well as the costuming, however, are uniquely Japanese.  Thus, the artist culls from the suggestive vocabulary of the originals – paintings simultaneously youthful and erotic – while playing with strict architectural formalism and Lolitaesque obsessions that anchor the work in Japanese cultural traditions.

Hisaji Hara’s technique involves creating multiple exposures in-camera without computer manipulation, coupled with the use of smoke machines and cinematic lighting.  The result is a highly enchanting and singular print quality that reinforces the poignant longing and adolescent reverie that his subjects embody.

Hisaji Hara was born in Tokyo, Japan, and graduated from the Musashino University of Art and Design in 1986.  In 1993 he emigrated to the United States and worked as a director of photography for television and documentary film before returning to Japan in 2001.  “A photographic portrayal of the paintings of Balthus” was made over a period of five years beginning in 2006.  The exhibition at RoseGallery is the American debut of this series. In 2010 Hisaji Hara received first prize at the Yokohama Photo Festival for his work. Hara Hisaji is represented by MEM Tokyo. His work is currently exhibited at the 2012 Caochangdi PhotoSpring Festival at +3 Gallery in Beijing through May 31, 2012 : HISAJI HARA: Symphony of Time and Light -- 原久路：时·光交响.

ROSEGALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center
Santa Monica, California 90404, USA
Gallery's Web Site: www.rosegallery.net