Eye of the Beholder by Anton Kusters
I’ve worked all day to prepare everything. Made galleries on my portable; made prints at Yodobashi Camera. Wrapped everything up nicely to present to him. When we meet at his office around 11pm, Soichiro, my brother, and I go through the whole collection of images i have made up till that point. I’m nervous as hell.
Slowly we go through every gallery, every image… Once in a while he flags one because he wants to ask a question or he wants me to make a print of it. To be presented to the subject on the photo… as a gift. This moment, the first showing of the images, the big first moment, “Are they going to like it? Will they approve?”, actually goes by without a glitch.
I also tell him i’m slowly starting to see the way i want to tell the story, so i show him my first sequenced spread layout on screen. only 20 images. I talk about my views, what i have seen, what i have learned, and that i am setting the mood in this “first chapter”. He agrees and thinks i should continue in the same way.
—
I’m in the front seat, riding with Soichiro in his car on his way to Shinjuku. “One cuts off one’s finger to make a point”, Soichiro explains while driving. “Usually to show the sincerity of an apology after doing something wrong.”
“You cut off a single digit of your own finger in a ceremonial way, while facing your boss, and then you present the severed finger on a folded napkin to him. It reinforces the power of your apology. It shows that you’re serious about what you’re saying.”
Somehow, i don’t feel like questioning that.
—
Post Scriptum:
A month ago, the annual go-around was banned by law; this is effectively the last picture of this happening in the streets of Kabukicho.
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About the Work
Soichiro is the lead character of the story that i’m starting to tell, about a Yakuza family in Japan. After more than 10 months of preparation, my brother and I have been granted access to start a long-term project to document the visible and hidden life of that particular family. All names used in the account above (and previous and future accounts) are fictional.
Here on burn magazine, and on my own site, i will regularly provide visual and textual accounts of our adventures.
Previous chapters:
– Meet Soichiro
– As Light Shines on thy Thigh
Photographs: Anton Kusters
Website: www.antonkusters.com
I love this project and think it’s one of the more interesting to follow at the moment.
The only thing I doesn’t like is the technique. I know you have your style tech wise, but when getting access to something like this I want to see as much as possible. Blur, black shadows etc doesn’t do it for me in this particular project. I don’t know if you have your reasons for this though..
Cheers
johan -
yes you are right that i would never put myself or my family (or anyone else for that matter) in danger for the sake of the project. i will not hesitate: the very instant that this is jeopardized i will pull out.
that said, the danger is very real. The danger isn’t any less because the interaction is very respectful and organized, or because it isn’t visible all the time. I am working with people who have been in prison for more than 20 years for capital crimes, people who have an entirely different moral code. people who are continually trained in various forms of combat, armed and unarmed. People who do not hesitate for one second. No, please don’t get me wrong, this is not a game at all. the fact that i am a westerner, only buys me a very very limited amount of credit here. I have no position of power or influence whatsoever.
It’s a completely different form, shape or situation compared to south america… i don’t think it’s going to get us anywhere to try compare the two, if that were even possible.
And finally: yes you analyzed it very well here: the access to the group or individual inner psyche is exactly what i hope will make this a strong story. the reflective states, the off guard moments…. those are the ones i am set on capturing, having my sixth sense (if i have one at all) turned on as full as i can…
thanks for the in depth analysis johan…
anton….
I,
loves it……….:)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
… the reason is…
that you are “dancing”… on thin ice…
…very, very thin….
….ice….
….ice brings me the “chills”…
i can sense your fear… im afraid too…
so far all of your photos “scare” the poop out of me…
I like that… i really do…
thank u for doing this….
that was “hot”…
but now its “huge”…
greetings from LA…. 111 degrees today in san bernardino, ca….
:)
really enjoyed this. looking forward to seeing more, anton. best of luck.
Love this series very very much
cant wait for the next installment..
I so wanna be in your shoes documenting this
want so badly!!!
and of course awesome pictures!!!
Super cool!
Keep going Anton!
Cheers
Anton,
Het is me een groot genoegen je werk te zien, vooral ‘I see a ghost’.
Het is cool jou licht op je nieuwe verhalen te zien.
Knuffels uit Chili!!
Eduardo
Hi Anton!
Just a short note here: Today I watched a film about Swiss photographer Alberto Venzago. Venzago is one of my favourite photographers, but I didn’t know he did a story about the Yakuza in b&w which he published as a book in 1990.
The other day I came across the book “The Firm” by Jocelyyn Bain Hogg, which reminded me of your project.
Did you get influenced or inspired by these two photographers?
Anton, your projects is challenging and certainly worth all this effort. Good luck! Looking forward to see more!
Best
Reimar
What an opening statement! I love the softness in your images. And I’ll bet everyone, all your subjects included, will love them too! All of that and more is very impressive! That’s a fascinating look in the eye in that first image and wondering if you took more in the car – one more focused on that facial expression? I can’t wait to see more! They’re almost TOO perfect – how about a little camera shake in there! I think I’d get it in quite naturally! ; )