Eiji Ohashi - Photographs London Tuesday, November 21, 2023 | Phillips
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    “The single vending machine shining away while almost entirely buried beneath a pristine snowfield represents an ideal encapsulation of this series.”
    —Eiji Ohashi 

    For his ongoing Roadside Lights series, Eiji Ohashi (b.1955) documents Japan’s ubiquitous vending machines as a metaphor for the modern human condition. The exceptional photograph of the barely visible appliance resolutely asserting itself with a gem-like brilliance was taken on 23 February 2022 in Hokkaidō after a record snowfall. Overcoming the difficulties of travelling on unploughed roads and working amidst a snowstorm, the artist was rewarded with a dream-like condition. He remembers, ‘The snowploughs could not clear the roads as usual, leaving a perfectly crisp, clear layer of snow around the vending machine – a perfect scenario for me.’ Due to climate change, the Sapporo native believes that he will not have another opportunity in his lifetime to photograph under similar conditions. The Japanese artist has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Moscow International Foto Awards (2016), photo-eye Best Books (2017) and the Special Photographer Award at the 34th Higashikawa Awards (2018). His work has been exhibited widely and resides in the Sapporo Art Museum, Hokkaidō. 

ULTIMATE

9

Roadside Lights #145

2022
Chromogenic print, mounted.
Image: 114 x 220 cm (44 7/8 x 86 5/8 in.)
Frame: 119 x 225 cm (46 7/8 x 88 5/8 in.)

Signed, dated in ink, printed title, date, number 3/3 on an artist label and a Certificate of Authenticity, both accompanying the work.

This work is number 3 from the sold-out edition of 3 (No AP). This image is sold out in all sizes and editions.

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
£12,000 - 18,000 

Sold for £27,940

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Photographs

London Auction 21 November 2023