Photographs by Emily Allchurch

In homage to Hiroshige’s last great work, ‘One Hundred Famous Views of Edo’ (1856-58), Emily Allchurch’s ‘Tokyo Story’ re-creates ten of these impressive woodblock prints through contemporary photographic tools. Meticulously blending digital software to embrace the spirit of Hiroshige’s imagery, Allchurch intricately reconstructs each picture through impeccable seamless composites using photography, Photoshop and watercolour skies painted, then photographed to form a fitting backdrop – bridging the gap of time and place – to great effect.

Tokyo Story celebrates Hiroshige’s great work that is admired for its mastery of bokashi; luminous cross-fading effects created through the graduated wiping of the ink on the printing blocks. This vibrant visual standard guided Allchurch’s approach to her photography, which updates the series for a contemporary audience. Acting as a visual record of Allchurch’s journey, Tokyo Story opens up the multitude of possibilities that history can offer, resulting in a gentle social narrative of Tokyo today. Many contemporary concerns are subtlety conveyed from the aging population, homelessness, environmental issues and the breakdown of social structure with unemployment rising as jobs for life cease to be. A homeless man can be glimpsed pulling a cart of belongings, whilst beer cans float in polluted rivers as the banners of commercialism punctuate the growing skyline. Transposing these distinctive techniques of abstraction, vivid colouring and composition into photography, Allchurch captures Tokyo for future generations.

Emily Allchurch will be ‘In conversation’ with Laura Noble on Wednesday 13th of April 18:30 – 20:30. To attend please contact the gallery on 020 7636 5375 or email:enquiries@diemarnoble.com