All Episodes

June 12, 2024 74 mins

While he may technically practice as a photographer, artist, and architect, Hiroshi Sugimoto could also be considered, from a wider-lens perspective, a chronicler of time. With a body of work now spanning nearly five decades, Sugimoto began making pictures in earnest in 1976 with his ongoing “Diorama” series. In 1980, he started what may be his most widely recognized series, “Seascapes,” composed of Rothko-esque abstractions of the ocean that he has taken at roughly 250 locations around the world. In more recent years, Sugimoto has also built a flourishing architectural practice, designing everything from a café in Tokyo to the currently-under-construction Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. As with his subtly profound work, Sugimoto bears tremendous wisdom and is regarded by many as one of the most deeply perceptive minds and practitioners at the intersection of time and art-making.

On the episode, he discusses his pictures as fossilizations of time; seascapes as the least spoiled places on Earth; and why, for him, the “target of completion” for a building is 5,000 years from now.

Special thanks to our Season 9 presenting sponsor, L’École, School of Jewelry Arts.

Show notes:

Hiroshi Sugimoto

[5:10] Pre-Photography Time-Recording Devices

[39:05] “Theaters”

[15:06] “Seascapes”

[32:31] “Diorama”

[17:16] Caspar David Friedrich

[25:14] Odawara

[28:52] “Aujourd’hui le monde est mort [Lost Human Genetic Archive]”

[44:19] “Abandoned Theaters”

[44:19] “Opera Houses”

[44:19] “Drive-In Theaters”

[49:52] “Architecture”

[51:12] Le Corbusier

[51:12] Mies van der Rohe

[55:30] New Material Research Laboratory

[55:30] Tomoyuki Sakakida

[59:23] Enoura Observatory

[59:23] Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

[1:00:48] Katsura Imperial Villa

[1:01:05] Bruno Taut

[1:02:14] Donald Judd

[1:02:14] “Hiroshi Sugimoto: Five Elements in Optical Glass”

[1:06:47] Mingei

[1:06:47] Isamu Noguchi

[1:06:47] Dan Flavin

[1:09:15] Sugimoto Bunraku Sonezaki Shinju: The Love Suicides at Sonezaki

[1:09:15] At the Hawk's Well

[1:09:15] W.B. Yeats

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.