The spectacular series by Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto (*1948 in Tokyo) are characterized by matchless clarity and presence. His works are always an absolute embodiment of his chosen visual motif, reduced to its essence. Our exquisite monograph is the first to feature works selected from all of the series produced to date - including, of course, his most famous: Sugimoto's celebrated portraits of wax figures seem to face up to their living audiences; his "Seascapes" show us nothing less than a person's first conscious view of the ocean; the extremely long exposures of "Theaters" elevate the white, luminescent cinema screen, transforming it into a magical image of an altar; and the fascinating "Dioramas" - photographs of scientific display cases - allow us to travel with the artist far into the past to observe extinct animal species or the daily life of early man. (German edition ISBN 978-3-7757-1934-6) Exhibition schedule: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo September 17, 2005-January 9, 2006 · Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. · And other venues