Katrien Vandermarliere

This publication presents hundred photographs taken by Japanese artist Toshio Shibata (°1949), from the bridges and special structures designed by architect engineer Laurent Ney (°1964). In this book, both artist and designer meet; offering two worlds and two media that come together. For both creators, context is the starting point of their work, whether it is context as natural surroundings or in a broader sense. In Shibata’s work, Ney recognizes themes that inspire him whilst in the process of designing: the space, the time, geometry, materiality and poetry. But it is surely the ‘outsider’s’ viewpoint that makes Shibata’s images of Ney’s constructions so intriguing. They reveal a multi-layered reality that can be understood at multiple levels.