Yukio Mishima, Eikoh: BA-RA-KEI: Ordeal by Roses

Hosoe Aperture

1985

First Edition

In 1963, controversial author Yukio Mishima and photographer Eikoh Hosoe put the finishing touches on their masterful collaborationBarakei(Killed by Roses), part photographic performance, part surreal portrait of Mishima as both iconoclast and self-mythologist. The original edition, designed by Kohei Sugiura, famously established the touchstone for two subsequent editions in 1971 and 1985.Aperture's 1985 editionfaithfully reproduces afacsimile of the 1963 classic, making available once again one of the most infamous and intriguing photo books of the twentieth century. Eikoh Hosoe(born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, 1933) is an integral part of the history of modern Japanese photography; he remains a driving force not only for his own work, but also for his efforts as a teacher and ambassador, fostering artistic exchange between Japan and the rest of the world.