Unsafe Light,

1985

Here we see a photography studio filled with red darkroom paraphernalia at a moment of explosion. But it is an illusion: the window view is an illustration and the materials and chemicals seemingly captured mid-explosion are actually suspended by thin strings. This elaborate set contrasts with the ghostly self-portrait of the lunging photographer. Suggesting a future of toxic environments and invasive detritus, Nagatani explores the tensions between control and spontaneity, convention and rebellion within the medium of photography. His image reflects on the movement away from the restrictive technology of photography’s past toward a spontaneous digital future while at the same time reminding us through meticulous staging that photography is always an act of artifice.