Flying Has Changed My Life -- Solaryman
by OG mori on June 30, 2011 7:30 PM
Representation of "negative" -- Japanese salaryman, converting into a superstar
Through out the history of human being, an act of "flying" has been noted as one of the "top wish lists". Back in 1903, the Light Brothers became the very first human being to crack the list -- flying with a glider.
In the early 20th century, flying with an aid of machinery was considered impossible. Many scientists and engineers supported the idea of Simon Newcomb, an American mathematician and astronomer, "Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible." But the Brothers successfully flew over the heads of skepticism.
Through out the history of human being, an act of "flying" has been noted as one of the "top wish lists". Back in 1903, the Light Brothers became the very first human being to crack the list -- flying with a glider.
In the early 20th century, flying with an aid of machinery was considered impossible. Many scientists and engineers supported the idea of Simon Newcomb, an American mathematician and astronomer, "Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible." But the Brothers successfully flew over the heads of skepticism.
Take a look at a fictional world. In 1938, 35 years after the Light Brothers floated, a "flying man" with a super power was born from DC Comics. His has got a power and fantastic flying performance - his name, as one might have already guessed, is Superman.
Now, it's the 21st century and the act of flying has come down to ordinary people, thanks to the advancement of technology and this particular talented creator. Take a look at his work.
His name is Koichi Sato, working for a Japanese bank. "Koichi and Sato", his name is a ubiquitous one among Japanese and doesn't quite stand out. (Analogous to "John Smith" when it comes to an English name.) What distinguishes Koichi from others - he is flying. He is known as "solaryman". In Japanese, "sola" is defined as "sky", so it translates into sky-salaryman - or flying salaryman.
This magnificent piece was created by a Japanese photographer, Yuki Aoyama.
"I started creating a solaryman piece because I faced my father's death. My father was a great person, but I didn't come to realize this fact until he passed away. This is because my father was a stereotypical and mundane Japanese office worker, called a "salaryman". He didn't work for the Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft. He was just a guy, who was dealing a lot of projects by using Microsoft products. But when he passed away, many people came to his funeral. From the company's CEO to young co-workers -- they all expressed their condolences. I came to realize how much he was loved by his colleagues and how great my father was! After this experience, the idea of solaryman project has emerged. Its main objective -- discovering Japanese salaryman's inner uniqueness."
Salaryman is a representation of a working Japanese in a cynical way. Over 80% of Japanese falls into this category, fed by companies and being exploited. They're always dressed in a black or gray suit, eliminating individuality - even though they're the engine of Japanese economy.
Yuki tries to perceive them from a different perspective. He asks each voluntary salaryman to jump and pose. While a salaryman is afloat, he captures still images - or solaryman. His output allows liberating a mundane image of salaryman -- shaping him beautifully with optimistism.
"I started shooting solaryman series from 2006. Over 200 salarymen have contributed so far. In the past, they flied on a road, office, or even in a tennis court. Even Katsuei Hirasawa, a well-known politicians, is among them.
Through the work of solaryman, one can perceive the individuality of salaryman,and deduce how distinct and unique each of them is. After all, they are the source of Japan's economic activities. They should be treated one by one, not by a mass term called salaryman.
Yuki Aoyama's official website
Now, it's the 21st century and the act of flying has come down to ordinary people, thanks to the advancement of technology and this particular talented creator. Take a look at his work.
His name is Koichi Sato, working for a Japanese bank. "Koichi and Sato", his name is a ubiquitous one among Japanese and doesn't quite stand out. (Analogous to "John Smith" when it comes to an English name.) What distinguishes Koichi from others - he is flying. He is known as "solaryman". In Japanese, "sola" is defined as "sky", so it translates into sky-salaryman - or flying salaryman.
This magnificent piece was created by a Japanese photographer, Yuki Aoyama.
"I started creating a solaryman piece because I faced my father's death. My father was a great person, but I didn't come to realize this fact until he passed away. This is because my father was a stereotypical and mundane Japanese office worker, called a "salaryman". He didn't work for the Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft. He was just a guy, who was dealing a lot of projects by using Microsoft products. But when he passed away, many people came to his funeral. From the company's CEO to young co-workers -- they all expressed their condolences. I came to realize how much he was loved by his colleagues and how great my father was! After this experience, the idea of solaryman project has emerged. Its main objective -- discovering Japanese salaryman's inner uniqueness."
Salaryman is a representation of a working Japanese in a cynical way. Over 80% of Japanese falls into this category, fed by companies and being exploited. They're always dressed in a black or gray suit, eliminating individuality - even though they're the engine of Japanese economy.
Yuki tries to perceive them from a different perspective. He asks each voluntary salaryman to jump and pose. While a salaryman is afloat, he captures still images - or solaryman. His output allows liberating a mundane image of salaryman -- shaping him beautifully with optimistism.
"I started shooting solaryman series from 2006. Over 200 salarymen have contributed so far. In the past, they flied on a road, office, or even in a tennis court. Even Katsuei Hirasawa, a well-known politicians, is among them.
Through the work of solaryman, one can perceive the individuality of salaryman,and deduce how distinct and unique each of them is. After all, they are the source of Japan's economic activities. They should be treated one by one, not by a mass term called salaryman.
Yuki Aoyama's official website
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