Sean Lotman x Haptic
HAPTIC presents SUNLANDERS by SEAN LOTMAN. Described by Eric Kim as one of the top color photobooks of the past five years, SUNLANDERS will be available for purchase in the HAPTIC shop for a limited time. >>The first 10 orders will receive a free gift of STREET NOTES MOBILE. <<
Photography is most often used to reveal reality, but my aim with Sunlanders, is more about inventing an alternative reality. Inspired by the color palette of Technicolor films from the mid-20th century, the photographs herein do not document the Japanese archipelago as it is at this present moment, but how I would always like it to be instead. Rather than a contemporary take on Japan, Sunlanders is a surreal vision of its society, portrayed in vivid colors and standstill environments, a manifestation of dreams.
Handmade Color Darkroom Prints
The 48 images composing Sunlanders are all color darkroom prints, an intensive and artistic handmade process now extremely rare in our digital era. Each print was meticulously made through manually dodging and burning in order to “paint” a vibrant alternative reality. A limited edition was published in London by Bemojake in September, 2016.
There is real intimacy with your photography when printing in the darkroom. You’re not pressing buttons or dressing filters on images willy-nilly; rather, you must carefully consider the necessary alterations. You’re as conscientious of what you are doing at this moment as when you took the picture, perhaps even more so. I could only achieve in my prints a certain feeling after much experimentation. When your hands move between the light and exposed paper, it becomes almost like painting then, or at least, the literal meaning of photography, writing with light. And when you’re done six or seven hours later, with maybe three images on your work table you feel a great sense of accomplishment.
Shipped and Signed by the Artist
Each purchase is personally signed and shipped by Sean Lotman from Kyoto, Japan. It usually takes a 8-11 days to arrive. The listed price includes the cost of shipping worldwide.
HAPTIC FEATURED ARTIST
HAPTIC features the innovative and poetically subversive work of Sean Lotman. For one month, Sean Lotman will share his work and new writing on HAPTIPRESS.COM. See his latest “Postcards from the Darkroom” essay where he reveals the story behind his iconic Sunlanders image.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Sean Lotman is based in Japan. Having spent most of his twenties and thirties working on narrative fiction, he is now focused on photography, particularly color darkroom printing. His first photo book, Sunlanders, was published in London by Bemojake in September, 2016. He is currently working on his second book, Blown Zen Moments, which pairs prints made with the Diana f+ toy camera with haiku poetry. He lives in Kyoto with his wife, the photographer Ariko Inaoka, and their young son, Tennbo.
PHOTOGRAPHY
- Sunlanders, 2016 (HAPTIC FEATURED ARTIST: Available for a limited time in the HAPTIC shop)
- Blown Zen Moments (Ongoing)
WRITING
PRESS
CONNECT
The Complete Works of Sean Lotman
