My goal is to convey "analog-only sensations" in a world where everything can be digitized. These include both subjective as well as objective sensations from incidental brushes of beauty, illogical amusements, and unconventional surprises that can only come with analog actions. The sensations are not to be viewed through the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, but treated as seeds of something that can be woven into the future.

　The pictures feature exciting locations you would least expect to see a person in. For example, you may find pictures of me standing on beams protruding out of a tall building or water surface - sometimes looking like I'm in the midst of tipping over and falling! These dangerous-looking photographs are not driven by thrills. Instead, they reflect my unadulterated desire to translate imagery into reality. When I first started producing this photo series, portraying myself as the subject wasn't necessarily something that was set in stone. I only needed "someone" who would be capable of manifesting the image in my mind. I ended up becoming the subject of the photos simply because I wanted to be the first to have a taste of the "analog-only sensations" available in that experience!

　That said, when viewers find out that the subject is the photographer himself, they tend to start viewing the pictures as a type of self-portrait. Self-portraits are nothing new in the art scene. Plenty of artists have produced such works of art. There's usually a dynamic message behind the portrait, such as accusing the society of oppression, raising questions about various underdog issues, dismantling the image of a famous painting or person by morphing into the subject being discussed, and other matters of concern. For my pictures, however, they're all about the "analog-only sensations." All I did was enjoy the scenes, sorting my personal experiences with that "view that was all my own" into a little box to take home with me.

　And so, the moment the viewer starts wondering, "What's he seeing from over there?", the personal view seen in that shot becomes unique and I become the only special guy who saw it. With almost everything and anything available on demand these days, it may be baffling for the viewer to be confronted by something they can't possibly see for themselves anymore, but given some time and reflection, this novel sensation is likely to feel somewhat pleasant.

I used 6x7 film for the photography and arranged the settings myself, then asked someone I trusted to press the shutter. Using film also serves as physical proof that I did go to the locations personally. The photographs were touched up digitally to draw out their fullest potential and then printed on paper.

　In the process of converting analog photos into a digital format and then rendering them as analog pictures again, I got to rediscover analog sensations in a world driven by both the analog and digital; sensations that can identify with those evoked by these pictures born from the space between the real and the fantastic. However, in the end the viewer will decide for themselves what sensations they take away from the experience, sharing their enjoyment with me and anyone who happens to be present at the time. And that is the most important part of it all.

Tanaka Mikito

　あらゆるものがデジタル化可能な社会の中で、私が表現したいのは＜アナログだからこそ生まれる感覚＞。そこにはアナログな行為をした者だけが得られる主体的感覚と、偶然の美しさ、理屈ではない面白さ、受け入れ難い驚きに出会う客観的感覚がある。その感覚は決してノスタルジーではなく、未来を紡ぐ“何か”の種なのだ。

　ロケーションは、「もしあそこに人が居たら」と妄想すると胸が高鳴るような場所。例えば仰ぎ見るほどの高さの建築物や水面から突き出た杭であり、私は自ら被写体となって、その上、時にはそこから落ちている最中にポーズをとる。一見危険な写真だが、制作の原動力はスリルではなく、妄想を現実にしたいという純粋な欲求である。実は、このシリーズを開始する前は、その妄想の中での人物は「私」である必要はなく、イメージを具現化するために「誰か」がいてくれれば良かったのだが、結局私は自ら被写体となることにしたのだ。＜アナログだからこそ生まれる感覚＞を誰よりも先に味わいたくなったからだ。

　しかし鑑賞者は被写体が作者自身であることを知ると、作品を「セルフ・ポートレイト」の一種であるとみなす。美術史上、数多の芸術家がセルフ・ポートレイトを残しているが、それらには強烈なメッセージが込められてきた。例えば自身を抑圧する社会を告発する、弱者に扮して諸問題を提起する、名画や著名人に扮してイメージを解体する…等々。だが私はといえば。＜アナログだからこそ生まれる感覚＞———そこにいる私からしか見えない光景を楽しみ、記憶の箱に「私だけの光景」を片付けて、いそいそと持ち帰っているだけなのだ。

　そして鑑賞者が「ここから何が見えるんだろう」と興味を持った瞬間、「私だけの光景」は誰も見たことのない特別なものとなり、私はその光景を唯一見た特別な人となる。今や見たいと思えばなんでも見ることができる暮らしの中で、鑑賞者は「見ることができない」というもどかしさに少し戸惑い、新鮮な感覚に心地良ささえ感じるのではないだろうか。

　撮影には6×7フィルムを用い、様々なセッティングを整えた後、信頼する人物にシャッターを任せる。フィルムは私がそこへ行ったという証拠でもある。その証拠をデータ化し、その画が持つ力を最大限に引き出す調整を行い、紙に印刷する。

　アナログからデジタル、再びアナログで完成する過程は、「アナログ／デジタル双方が必須」の現在、「アナログから得る感覚を再認識」させ、「現実と妄想の間」に生まれた作品自体と重ね合わせることができる。とはいえ、作品から得る感覚は鑑賞者にお任せする。それを愉しみ私や居合わせた人と共有することが最も大切だからだ。

田中　幹人