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Untitled (Nagoya), from the series "Floods and Japanese"

A work made of gelatin silver print.

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  • A work made of gelatin silver print.

Date:

1959, printed 1966

Artist:

Shomei Tomatsu
Japanese, 1930–2012

About this artwork

One of the key figures in Japanese postwar photography, Shomei Tomatsu made photographs that addressed the dominant issues shaping the country’s identity: the destruction of the atomic bomb, the subsequent rebuilding of Japan into a modern society, and the ongoing American military and cultural presence. This photograph was taken in Nagoya in the aftermath of the 1959 Ise Bay typhoon, one of the most devastating in Japanese history. It does not directly address the 5,000 casualties or the families left homeless by the disaster; instead, it depicts a boot, a traditional sandal, and a modern ladies’ pump rising up from the black sludge, suggesting the Japanese islands or a population adrift. The sturdy boot alone, most likely manufactured in the United States, emerges tenaciously from the muck and appears most capable of moving on after the disaster.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Shomei Tomatsu

Title

Untitled (Nagoya), from the series "Floods and Japanese"

Place

Japan (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1955

Medium

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions

Image: 23.2 × 23.2 cm (9 3/16 × 9 3/16 in.); Mount: 36 × 34.2 cm (14 3/16 × 13 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Photography Gala Fund

Reference Number

2010.325

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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