A selection of images from renowned Japanese photographer Toshio Shibata’s first monograph with Deadbeat Club. Described as a true collaboration between artist and publisher, “Day for Night,” presents 70 never-before-seen photographs Shibata made in the 1980’s. The concept behind the book is seemingly simple as it progresses through a series of nighttime photographs into a set of images taken during the day. But, as always with Shibata, nothing is as it first appears. Intense light sources make the nocturnal scenes appear stranger than they should while the daylight pictures, featuring heavy masses of constructed earth and stone, feel anything but bright and airy. As the title suggests, the light and darkness swap roles. In this way, “Day for Night” confounds not only viewers’ expectations but even Shibata’s own:
“The title gives another layer to the book. I knew that technique since my childhood through watching ‘Rawhide’ on TV but until now I’d never seen my own work with such an eye.”
Check out more images below!