Barco negro na mesa

While attending Kyoto City University of Arts, Morimura was deeply influenced by a class he took with the photographer Ernest Satow, a photojournalist known for his pictures in Life magazine and other publications. In addition to teaching photography, Satow taught his students about the Western modern aesthetic exemplified by the works of artists such as Henri Cartier-Bresson.

After graduating, Morimura served as Satow’s assistant for a lengthy period. Then he made a series of photographic still lifes, all of which were shot indoors, called Barco negro na mesa. Using handmade props, and his own furniture and tableware, Morimura focused almost exclusively on the objects on the tabletop and in the room. However, the stable structure and composition of the works reflects the modern photographs and paintings that he studied in Satow’s class. The series also contained several of his first self-portraits.

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