Shishosetsu Izumi Suzuki / Nobuyoshi Araki, 1986

Description

“An anthology of photographs to commemorate the actress and writer Izumi Suzuki, who committed suicide in Feb 1986. A plan to publish a novel by her together with photographs by Araki in 1971 fell through. I-Novel makes use of the original layout for this earlier book. The mood of the era is transmitted through the medium of languid flesh.”–Kotaro Iizawa, Araki: Self, Life, Death

Izumi Suzuki became famous in the 1970s as a model, “pink” actress, and novelist. She was also a member of Shuji Terayama’s independent theater troupe Tenjo Saijiki and the wife of avant-garde free jazz saxophonist Kaoru Abe who died of a drug overdose in 1978. Izumi was the subject of many of Araki’s most famous photographs and this photobook is one of his most sought after.

Number of Books

• Photographer: Nobuyoshi Araki
• Subject: Izumi Suzuki (1949–1986), a novelist, essayist, and former nude model/pink actress
• Context: Often regarded as a memorial to Suzuki following her suicide in 1986, this collection captures her complex persona, reflecting a tumultuous life
• Content: The book contains photos taken by Araki, sometimes featuring text, and is related to the “photo era” of the early 70s
• Significance: It documents the life of a woman who was a prominent figure in Japanese underground culture, known for her candid and often nihilistic writing