FUKASE, Masahisa. Ravens.

(Tokyo): Sokyusha, 1986. First edition. Small square quarto. 132 pages. Consistently proclaimed as one of the most important photobooks in the history of the medium, Fukase’s haunting series of work was made between 1975 and 1986 in the aftermath of a divorce and was apparently triggered by a mournful train journey to his hometown. The coastal landscapes of Hokkaido serve as the backdrop for his profoundly dark and impressionistic photographs of ominous flocks of crows. The work has been interpreted as an ominous allegory for postwar Japan. This a near fine copy in black boards with embossed raven image, lacking the original glassine jacket as often. Housed in publisher’s slipcase with paper title label. Our favourite book.