Kenji Nakahashi (Japanese, 1947-2017)
A Cut in the Sky, 1979
chromogenic print on paper
7.75″ x 11.5″
Anonymous Gift in memory of Kenji Nakahashi, and in honor of Stephen B. Jareckie, 2018.1
A Cut in the Sky exemplifies Kenji Nakahashi’s abstract photography. In this series, Nakahashi transforms our vision of New York City skyscrapers from towering buildings into flattened projections. The “cut” is composed of the exposed night sky, making the skyscrapers part of the landscape of the sky. Interested in the mundanity of everyday life, Nakahashi strives to alter our perspective, rendering the everyday unfamiliar or unique. In A Cut in the Sky, Nakahashi creates an abstract image not only through a unique perspective, but also through his use of color. By photographing the subject at night, he exploits the dark blue tint that covers the buildings. As a result, at first glance, viewers do not see any buildings at all, but various shapes in different shades of blue.