Becky Yee's "Back to the Streets" looks at the disappearing glossworld of Tokyo's shopping arcades situated outside the trend-setting centers of the city.
Born and raised in New York City, Chinese-American artist Yee has in the past exhibited photographs of teenage prostitutes and has also staged "3P: All Girls Camera Orgy" over four floors of the HPGRP Building in Ginza, Tokyo, an attempt with two collaborators to document an S&M love hotel in Tokyo.
In "Back to the Streets," Yee contrasts the color and energy of youth fashion from Harajuku and Shibuya with the gray patterns of suburban shotengai, or shopping streets. The outlandishly costumed fashion beings seem to receive a warm welcome from the unshockable old shoppers in the suburbs. Indeed, Yee's photographs show that they have many things in common - such as a love for leopard-print fabrics and acid color hair dyes.
The exhibition at Nakaochiai Gallery, 4-13-5 Nakaochiai, Shinjuku-ku, runs Nov. 6, 13 and 20, between noon-5 p.m and by appointment (e-mail [email protected]) For information, visit www.nakaochiaigallery.com
(Courtesy of TokyoQ.com.)
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