Matthew Messmer Artist's Statement

In Tokyo the night sky shines silvery purple, not quite the color of television tuned to a dead channel. Subway-staff on the platforms push commuters into trains so that each car can be filled with as many people as possible. I am one of those commuters. I live under that sky, so bright from light pollution that the buildings stand out as shadows against it. Some people might find these things repulsive, but I find them inspiring, and in the case of the sky, eerily beautiful.

My work focuses on the urban landscape of Tokyo and its commuter lifestyle. While living in Japan, I have at times spent almost four hours each week-day commuting from home to work. Taking this as inspiration, I have elaborated on the theme of commuting and the day-to-day lifestyle of Tokyoites in my photos and prints.

My status as an outsider in the largely homogenous Japanese culture works as a double-edged sword. While I can never assimilate and become fully accepted as a member of Japanese society, at the same time, I am afforded movement outside the system that a native Japanese person could never have. This status grants me a unique perspective different from that of a cultural insider.

In my photographs and woodblock prints, I explore the impact that the mixing of traditional Japanese culture and imported Western culture in contemporary Japan has on the citizens of Tokyo. Modern Japan is a mixture of these two influences, which has resulted in a unique culture in itself. At a first glance, the clean and relatively crime free Japan might look like a paradise to a tourist or someone unfamiliar with Japanese society. But underneath the surface of cherry blossoms and cute animated characters lay rigid social structures and conflicting cultural values that clearly have their effects on the citizens of Tokyo. In my work, I delve into these shared experiences, dealing with humanistic issues surrounding the feelings of autonomy (or a lack there of) in a large group of people.