Toshio Shibata Analysis

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Toshio Shibata vs Robert Adams

When it comes to contrasting Toshio Shibata and Robert Adams, there are inherent differences between their work. Before outlining how their photography differentiates, it is first important to understand how their individual background and photographic journey varies. Born in Tokyo in 1949, Toshio Shibata is best-known for his Large Format 8x10 photographs that exhibit the traditional aesthetic of Japanese painting. After completing an extensive education in painting and printmaking in Japan and Belgium, he eventually progressed towards photography as a medium of expression (Barker 2013). After viewing the American West exhibit, specifically works by Edward Weston, he definitively chose photography as …show more content…

Although technically he was born on the East coast, he grew up in Colorado, and moved to Southern California in 1956 to attend the University of Redlands, where he received a Ph.D. in English in 1965 (Chuang 2009). When Adams returned to Colorado to begin an anticipated career as an English Teacher, he was in shock by the changes he saw in the landscape. Due to the increase of migration into the ‘wild west’, the once familiar wilderness was becoming inundated with industrial development and sub-urban cities. Shortly after returning to Colorado, he bought a 35-mm camera, taught himself the fundamentals of photography, and began making pictures with a passion for the geography of his ‘home’ state (Lippard 2011). Toshio Shibatas and Robert Adams work isn’t entirely different from each other’s, though. They both combine organic landscapes with manmade structures, highlight the interaction between humans and their natural environment, and have both photographed during times of economic growth, industrialization, and exponential population expansion. Aside from similar timeframes, visual qualities, and photographic techniques, the greatest differences between their photography exists behind their artistic purposes and personal …show more content…

However, I find that their work is also inherently opposite due to their backgrounds, ideas, and intentions. The style in which both photographers pre-visualize their concepts arrange their compositions allows their viewer to experience their work uniquely. What they choose to capture within their frame and the style in why they do it, are in direct contrast to one

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