Provoke No. 2, 1969; gelatin silver print; 14 x 17 in. (35.56 x 43.18 cm.)

Daido Moriyama is a prominent Japanese photographer, who has illuminated the dark underside of Japanese urban life and the breakdown of strict, traditional values in the post-war period. Before starting his career as a freelance photographer, Moriyama became fascinated with the world of photography as he studied under Takeji Iwamiya, and later moved to Tokyo in order to join the photographer’s group VIVO: all of which jumpstarted his career as a prolific artist.

Daido Moriyama’s series of works, whether it be from his Aesthetics of Punk or his Farewell photography, has animated me in a way that causes me to crave and see more. The punctum of this picture, Provoke No. 2, is the odd and bent posture of the subject in the photo, as well as the fact that the subject is turned away from the camera. The curve of her back and its almost skinny and bony appearance has produced a sense of discomfort and curiosity for me; it causes me to wonder about the meaning and the “noise” of the picture. Just as Barthes’ elaborated,  “society, as it seems mistrusts pure meaning: It wants meaning but at the same time it wants this meaning to be surrounded by noise.” The feelings induced by these personally piercing details, makes me question the purpose in Moriyama’s decision to photograph the subject in such a way: Why is she facing away from the camera?; Why is her back bent in such a disturbing way?; Has she eaten recently? If you look closely, you can almost see the bones and details of her spine, all of which add to my feeling of discomfort originally induced by the punctum. I crave to know and understand more, yet I can’t.

What captures me most about this photo, is its simplicity, and the feelings I get out of it despite that. The studium of this photo is a woman sitting naked on a bed, slouching, and turned away from the camera. There is a general and vague interest I get out of the studium, which is deepened by my discomfort of the punctum, which is her hidden face and odd posture. There is nothing particularly crazy or busy going on in this photo, as there was in previous works I’ve observed, but I could not stop thinking about it as I beheld other works by Daido Moriyama, and I don’t seem to understand why. Here, within this frustration, I walk a mile in Roland Barthes’ shoes. I understand now, as it did for him, some photos animate me, while others do not.