Hiroshi Sugimoto, or I’ve Been There Before

I had a long talk on the phone with one of my best friends today.  He’s going through some of the same heartbreak right now that I was experiencing the last time I visited him in NY.  You know, when it’s hard to fall asleep at night and it’s hard to wake up in the morning…because your heart literally aches for someone who’s left (whether they’re worth it or not).

What a happy accident…not too long after we hung up the phone this morning, I stumbled upon a blog featuring the artist who inspired me most during that time of sadness.  While in NY almost three years ago, this friend took me to PS1 Gallery in Long Island and I was totally enamored with the photography of Hiroshi Sugimoto.   There’s an inherent play between life and death in his work…light and darkness coexisting, humming and bellowing in unison.

I tend to think music is best for making people feel connected, understood and inspired…but sometimes when there are no words or distinguishable sounds to describe what you’re going through…there’s art and photography.  I don’t have much great advice for dealing with breakups (because…they suck no matter what), but the one thing I stand behind is this: never stop looking for things to be inspired by.  And if it’s hard to start looking, have patience and do it anyway, a.k.a. fake it ’til you make it.

His works range beyond the feel and subject matter of those I’ve posted above…but there’s something that draws me to all of them. If you feel so inclined to watch, here is an interview with the artist that I enjoyed.