Cigarette Smoke

1965, printed 1980

Shōmei Tōmatsu

Associated Names
Shōmei Tōmatsu

Artist, Japanese, 1930 - 2012

This is a photograph of visible breath in cold air. The photo shows several faces exhaling visible puffs of air, indicating cold weather conditions. The picture is in black and white, with high contrast emphasizing the smoky quality of the breath dissipating in the air. The focus is on the interplay of light and shadow, with the breath creating patterns. The overall mood is contemplative and somewhat mysterious.
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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Shomei Tomatsu, Nagasaki, Japan; purchased by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2006; acquired by NGA, 2015.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2004

  • Shomei Tomatsu: Skin of a Nation, Japan Society Gallery, New York, September 22, 2004 – January 2, 2005; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, May 21 – August 29, 2005; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, May 13 – August 13, 2006

2008

  • Sight/Insight: People and Places, Recent Acquisitions of Photography and Media Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, April 30 – September 15, 2008

2011

  • Framed: Street Photography from the Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, February 3 – April 17, 2011

Bibliography

2004

  • Shomei Tomatsu: Skin of the Nation. Exh. cat. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2004: plate 62, no. 108.

Inscriptions

on verso, signed by artist lower right corner in graphite: '80 Tom [underlined]; by artist lower right: 1965; by unknown hand, on white label affixed in top right corner in black ink: 144

Wikidata ID

Q64171351

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