The 136-page book seamlessly alternates between rich, warm color plates and stark, dramatic duotone (black and white) imagery.
Before the publication of Santa Fe , Japanese publishing and censorship standards (enforced under Article 175 of the Penal Code) strictly prohibited the depiction of pubic hair, categorizing it as legally obscene. Photographers routinely used airbrushing, strategic lighting, or heavy digital censoring to comply with the law. Santa Fe Rie Miyazawa Photo By Kishin Shinoyama 1991 72
How did the subject survive the scandal? Rie Miyazawa did not fade. The 136-page book seamlessly alternates between rich, warm
The concept for Santa Fe was audacious: a full-length art book of nudes featuring the most beloved teen idol in Japan, shot on location in the poetic, sun-baked high desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The book, published by Asahi Press, was an oversized, luxurious hardcover tome measuring 35 x 27 cm. It was art-directed by the renowned Tsuguya Inoue, known for his work with fashion giant Comme des Garçons, ensuring that every element of the book was steeped in high fashion and fine art aesthetics. How did the subject survive the scandal
The stark, desolate, and beautiful surroundings of New Mexico juxtaposed with the youthful, vulnerable, yet confident form of Miyazawa.
At the age of 18, Miyazawa—then Japan's top "bishōjo" (beautiful girl) idol—shocked the nation by posing full-frontal nude amidst the rugged desert landscapes of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The book fundamentally altered the boundary between commercial entertainment and fine art, single-handedly launching the 1990s Japanese "hair nude" phenomenon. The Dynamic Duo: Rie Miyazawa and Kishin Shinoyama The Golden Idol