Masayoshi Sukita: The Legendary Photographer Who Captured Rock’s Golden Age
Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita captured some of the defining images of the 1970s and 1980s, photographing artists like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, T. Rex and Yellow Magic Orchestra. His archive is filled with musicians who would go on to become cultural icons, but of all the photographs he’s taken, the one he holds closest is […] The post Masayoshi Sukita: The Legendary Photographer Who…
Masayoshi Sukita, a legendary Japanese photographer, has captured some of the defining images of the 1970s and 1980s by photographing artists such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, T. Rex, and Yellow Magic Orchestra. His archive contains musicians who would later become cultural icons. However, the photograph he holds closest to his heart is a portrait of his mother.
Sukita's father passed away during World War II, leaving his single mother to raise him and his siblings during challenging times. Despite their financial struggles, she bought her son a camera, a gesture that profoundly shaped the course of his life. Sukita's early work focused on memories and landscapes of postwar Japan. After failing his university entrance exams, he spent a year living with his brother in Nagasaki, documenting the city's scars from the atomic bombing while also capturing postwar street scenes and social protests.
His aim was to show how things were, not to present something political. In 1970, Sukita took his first trip overseas to New York, marking a turning point in his life and work. Fascinated by the American music scene after watching Woodstock, he attended a festival at a New York stadium where he photographed Jimi Hendrix moments before his untimely death.
His passion for rock culture further solidified when he visited Andy Warhol's Factory and saw the Velvet Underground perform. In 1972, Sukita traveled to London to photograph T. Rex, capturing Marc Bolan and the band's swagger and flamboyance. This work cemented his reputation as a rock photographer and led to an encounter with David Bowie, whom he would become most closely associated with.
Their 44-year relationship resulted in numerous iconic photographs, with the cover of Bowie's album Heroes being particularly significant to both. The image, taken in 1977, marked a new world for Sukita and holds a special place in his heart. Among his other notable subjects, Sukita photographed influential musicians like John Lydon of the Sex Pistols, David Byrne of Talking Heads, and Joe Strummer of The Clash.
Back in Japan, his iconic subjects included Yellow Magic Orchestra, whose members became pioneers in electronic music.
Written by urgent.news from Tokyo Weekender's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
