Signed!!! Super RARE! Unique!!!! Magnum member.

Hiroji KUBOTA - The Golden Rock, Shwe Pyi Daw, Burma, 1978 (Kyaiktiyo)

Old Authentic Original Drawing Offset Print

Signed by Hiroji KUBOTA

Old process and technique for offset printing

Photogravure made from the original shot of photographer Hiroji Kubota

Size: 19.8 cm x 13 cm

This proof, which cannot be found today, was only intended for the printing press of the past, and was never found in the commercial circuit. After their use, they had to be returned to the artist, agency or rights holders, very often they were archived for the time of the reproductions, then destroyed. This is a survivor.

The contrasting print, very bright, with a beautiful sharp definition, with dense colors, all enhanced by the glossy protective varnish, has an absolutely remarkable sharpness and rendering.

Professional manual proofing done individually which was used exclusively for validation and coloring.

This unpublished Cromalin-type photoengraving proof was found at the home of a former art photoengraver in the depths of an assembly workshop, preciously preserved in a flat envelope and protected from light. Although it is old from 2001 with its 23 years of age, it has remained in a good state of conservation. On the back there are minimal traces of dirt and marks due to the manipulations of the printer. On the other hand, the front is intact, in excellent condition and has a very beautiful shine.

This once unique style of proofing from a traditional old fashioned fine art print era has totally disappeared these days being replaced by all digital. The colors of these manual proofs of yesteryear, carried out individually by professionals, were more beautiful, richer and incredibly brilliant, they have become rare, identical to a photograph.

These old manual proofs are no longer used today, they were used once when photoengraving was still an art and not an industry. It should be remembered that at that time the usual average time to finalize a photoengraving work varied from a few days to several weeks in order to obtain a faithful rendering as close as possible to the original photograph of the artist, with many round trips. between the client and the photoengraver.

This magnificent hard-to-find proof is a treasure trove of old-fashioned printing techniques that are no longer around today.

Now part of the history and heritage of the printing press of yesteryear.

In 1978 in Burma, on the sacred Buddhist site, the Japanese photographer, Hiroji Kubota realizes a photographic miracle, facing the impressive Golden Rock in Shwe Pyi Daw, this small group of Buddhist monks, returns on itself, not to make of noise, so as not to disturb the nature of a place whose essence, so palpable in the image, is made of contemplation, strength and silence. It is the calm and the amazement that he captures, a perception of freedom that offers a serene submission to the natural order of things, an image with which he manages to tell the deep relationship between sky and earth, so characteristic of the Burmese culture.

For Buddhists, the Burmese site is a place of meditation and prayers, to underline its sacred character, this rock balanced on the edge of a 1000 meter precipice, covered with gold, which makes it so luminous.

With his 35mm, he observes human beings in their environment, his talent is that of a photographer who manages to capture the genius of places, the intimate ties that unite people to places.

"Some say that photographing landscapes is something very unintellectual, I think it's wrong, and I learned it in China, landscapes talk about society and nature, and what constitutes beauty . » Hiroji Kubota

“I only photographed places where I was allowed and never took pictures in secret, even if I could. This kind of behavior is dangerous. You can't build trust with that kind of behavior. And I don't take a position on their political decisions. I try to do my best to be as neutral and biased as possible. In fact, I'm glad I studied the history of modern China and the Korean Peninsula. I think I was able to really appreciate North Korea, because I went there as an adult and after having lived and seen many different things. » Hiroji Kubota

Hiroji is not only a photographer, but also a coordinator and a diplomat, he is tireless and travels the world with his camera, he travels twice through the fifty states of the United States, after obtaining permission to go to China , he surveys all the Chinese provinces, for a thousand days, a record at that time, bringing back more than 200,000 shots. He continues without stopping, travels to South Korea, Burma, and twenty-two times to North Korea.

A young rebel, bursting with energy and eager to make his mark on this vast world, he quickly launched into photography under the benevolent sponsorship of the master of Japanese photography, Hiroshi Hamaya. He works only alone, on subjects he determines himself, always going to the essentials, he is a relentless man whose work offers a fascinating kaleidoscope between pleasure and information on the state of the planet.

"The world of photography should rejoice that Kubota did not follow in his family's footsteps by becoming the heir and manager of Tokyo's best eel restaurant, and that he chose the uncertain fate of freelance photographer -starts guided by the desire to make photographs that can uplift people's spirits. » Elliott Erwitt

Hiroji Kubota (1939) Japanese photographer, born in Tokyo in the Kanta district. In 1959, at the age of 20, he studied at the University of "Waseda" in Tokyo, and specialized in political science. In 1961 he came into contact with photographers from the Magnum Photos agency, temporarily assisting Elliott Erwitt, Burt Glinn, René Burri and Brian Brake, during a stay in Japan. To thank him, Erwitt sent him the book “Images à la courtte” by Henri Cartier-Bresson.

“When I saw the photos, I was dazzled! Then, René Burri gave me his old Leica M3 body, and my father bought me the second-hand Leica 35mm and 50mm lenses. »

In 1962 after graduation, he traveled from the far north to the far south of Japan. His report was published in the Japanese monthly magazine "Bungei Shunju", a few months later he landed in San Francisco, at the age of twenty-three, following an order from a Japanese magazine, joined New York, then went to in Chicago to support more ambitious photographic aspirations, he studied journalism and international relations at university while temporarily earning a living in Japanese restaurants.

“After graduating in 1962, I decided to move to New York and kindly Elliott Erwitt sponsored me for the visa. Burt Glinn then asked me to be his assistant and he paid me $25 a day. And Cornell Capa didn't have kids, so I kind of became like his son. I sympathized with them through my kitchen because I was asked to cook when they received guests. » Hiroji Kubota

In 1963 he met André Kertész with whom he became friends, “André influenced me a lot and taught me a lot. » Hiroji Kubota

During his stay in the United States the Vietnam War was taking place, as a long-time immigrant he received his draft card from the American government, following the advice of René Burri, in 1972, he went to Vietnam for the first time, having lived through the Second World War, he knew the atrocities and swore not to take any photos of the bodies.

In 1965, he set up freelance, working for the English daily, the "Times", his first report on the subject of the tomb of the painter Jackson Pollock in East Hampton, followed by an order from the Center for Urban Education, in Greater New York, to document children with disabilities, a report that marks his recognition and the beginning of his career.

In 1968, he returned to Japan and organized an exhibition entitled "Concerned photographers", bringing together six photographers, André Kertesz, David Seymour, Robert Capa, Werner Bischof, D.Wyner and Leonard Freed, the exhibition took place in one of the largest shops in Tokyo, in Matuya Ginza. That same year he covered the American presidential election, then went to the Ryukyu Islands before their return to Japan in 1972.

In 1971, he became a partner in Magnum Photos, obtaining his press card and a credit card from the agency. Asia is then his favorite terrain. In 1975 he was present during the fall of Phnom Phen and Saigon, then after several years of negotiations, he obtained permission to go to China, where he made a journey of a thousand days between 1979 and 1984, taking more than 200 000 shots. In 1985 his project gave rise to a book and an exhibition, both entitled “China”. In 1978 went to North Korea.

In 1982, he received the annual “Nendo Sho” prize, awarded by the Japanese Photography Society, and in 1983, that of the “Mainichi Art Prize”.

In 1989, he became a full member of Magnum Photos and in 1990 opened an office for the agency in Tokyo.

“The Tokyo office was set up because I thought that Tokyo was globalizing and the same for Magnum. I started this project in 1990. It made sense to me to have an office in Tokyo. At first I thought we needed $15 million, but it turns out I needed to raise half a million dollars! So, to raise the funds, I put together a weird portfolio of Magnums that I managed to sell. However, I needed to give that quarter million in cash to the cash-hungry New York office. I was happy to have been able to help our office which is so important. » Hiroji Kubota

In 1997 he published his book “Out of the East” featuring his photographs of most of the Asian continent and embarked on a new two-year project, which resulted in a new book, “Can We Feed Ourselves? ".

Old-fashioned Photogravure and the Cromalin proof:

The Photograver produced with special cameras from the original shot of the photographer of the films (typons). Before any printing, the Photograver carried out on a test press an original and unique analog manual print here of the CROMALIN type (Dupont de Nemours) obtained by superimposing 4 four-color films with the application of a protective varnish.

This is what was called a photoengraving proof or contractual proof, it anticipated the final rendering and the conformity of the work. After validation by the artist, the rights holders or the agency, the Photoengraver then sent all: Films and Proofs to the printer for the production of the work. It was an essential tool and was used by the Printer as a reference for the adjustments of its duotone inking units, to faithfully respect the appearance and control the colors during the final offset printing of the work in the machine.

When everything was in order, the customer signed the proof which then became contractual, the customer's approval committed the printer to obtain an identical result for all the prints he had to produce.

I want to see all ! » Hiroji Kubota

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thanks a lot to the following photographers

Edward Weston

Daido Moriyama

Araki

Josef Koudelka

Saul Leiter

Ray K Metzker

Paolo Roversi

Helmut Newton,

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Ernst Haas

Harry Gruyaert

Annie Leibovitz

Peter Lindbergh

Guy Bourdin

Richard Avedon

Herb Ritts,

Ellen Von Unwerth

Comme des Garçons

Rei Kawakubo

Irving Penn,

Bruce Weber,

Edward Steichen,

George Hoyningen-Huene,

Hiro,

Erwin Blumenfeld

Bruce Weber,

Alex Webb

Robert Frank

Issey Miyake

Robert Doisneau

Steve Hiett

Gueorgui Pinkhassov

Andy Warhol

Yayoi Kusama

Magnum photos

Harry Callahan

Andre Kertesz

Elliott Erwitt

Bruce Davidson

Guy Bourdin

Steven Meisel,

Martin Munkacsi

Mario Giacomelli

Bruce Gilden

Sebastiao Salgado

Sarah Moon