celebration of life Ikko Narahara

This is a photobook by Japanese photographer Ikko Narahara.

Narahara began taking photographs in 1946, while studying law at university and later pursuing a graduate degree in Spanish art history. During this time, he connected with up-and-coming artists such as Masuo Ikeda, Atsushi Kawahara, Tatsuo Ikeda, and Shuzo Takiguchi, capturing images while aiming to become an art critic. In 1956, his first solo exhibition "The Land of Humans" drew widespread attention for its refined compositions and its unconventional approach to subject matter, marking a turning point as Narahara set out on his path as a photographer.

He later became a member of the self-run agency “VIVO,” founded by fellow photographers including Eikoh Hosoe, Shomei Tomatsu, and Kikuji Kawada. From 1962 to 1965, he was based in Paris, and from 1970 to 1974 in New York, traveling across the United States, Spain, Italy, and various other countries, producing work throughout his life.

This book collects photographs Narahara took while attending the outdoor rock festival Celebration of Life in McLea, Louisiana, from June 23 to 27, 1971, together with his wife. Captured at the height of the “hippie boom,” fueled by anti-Vietnam War movements and a youth-driven desire for peace and freedom, the images depict festival-goers enjoying themselves freely. Narahara’s perspective is notable for its objectivity, observing the scene with a detached, almost aerial eye rather than immersing himself in it. The book was edited by Shoji Yamagishi, editor-in-chief of the photography magazine "Camera Mainichi", which first published these images.