by Claire O'Neill

When we think of photography "greats," we usually rattle off names like Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon or Henri Cartier-Bresson. It often seems as if we've forgotten an entire hemisphere of photographic history. But two exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art aim to change that. "The Provoke Era: Postwar Japanese Photography" and "Photography Now: China, Japan, Korea" show off SFMOMA's extensive postwar Japanese photography collection, and also incorporate some more contemporary photography from China and Korea.

  • Li Lang, Riha, Zhaojue, Sichuan, China, from the series "The Yi People," 2002
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    Li Lang, Riha, Zhaojue, Sichuan, China, from the series "The Yi People," 2002
    Collection SFMOMA, Accessions Committee Fund © Li Lang
  • Li Lang, Dimo, Zhaojue, Sichuan, China, from the series "The Yi People," 1999
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    Li Lang, Dimo, Zhaojue, Sichuan, China, from the series "The Yi People," 1999
    Collection SFMOMA, Accessions Committee Fund © Li Lang
  • Moriyama, Daido, Hiratuka, 1966
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    Moriyama, Daido, Hiratuka, 1966
    Collection SFMOMA, gift of Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein © Daido Moriyama
  • Hiromi Tsuchida, Ise, Mie, from the series "The World of Zokushin (Gods of the Earth),"
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    Hiromi Tsuchida, Ise, Mie, from the series "The World of Zokushin (Gods of the Earth),"
    Collection SFMOMA © Hiromi Tsuchida
  • Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled (Three men with cigarettes, posing in the street), circa 1970
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    Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled (Three men with cigarettes, posing in the street), circa 1970
    Promised gift of Paul Sack to the Sack Photographic Trust © Estate of Katsumi Watanabe
  • Masahisa Fukase, Kanazawa, from the series "The Solitude of Ravens," 1977
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    Masahisa Fukase, Kanazawa, from the series "The Solitude of Ravens," 1977
    Promised gift of Paul Sack to the Sack Photographic Trust © Masahisa Fukase
  • Masahisa Fukase, Seikan Ferry Boat, from the series "The Solitude of Ravens," 1976
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    Masahisa Fukase, Seikan Ferry Boat, from the series "The Solitude of Ravens," 1976
    Accessions Committee Fund Purchase © Masahisa Fukase
  • Daido Moriyama, Stray Dog, Misawa, Aomori, 1971, Collection SFMOMA, gift of Van Deren Coke © Daido Moriyama
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    Daido Moriyama, Stray Dog, Misawa, Aomori, 1971, Collection SFMOMA, gift of Van Deren Coke © Daido Moriyama
  • Eikoh Hosoe, Kamaitachi #31 (Caped Kamaitachi running through field), 1968
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    Eikoh Hosoe, Kamaitachi #31 (Caped Kamaitachi running through field), 1968
    Promised gift of Paul Sack to the Sack Photographic Trust © Eikoh Hosoe

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"The Provoke Era: Postwar Japanese Photography," the museum's first survey of postwar Japanese photography, includes nearly a hundred pictures from the 1960s through the 1990s. These photos document Japan's transformation in the wake of its World War II defeat. Evolving from a traditionally conservative society to a democratic, capitalistic nation took time. But over the years, Japan embraced change, which often meant embracing the West.

In 1959, for example, a group of Japanese photographers united in a group called VIVO, modeled after Magnum Photos agency — something of an industry powerhouse in the West. Likewise, a small-press photography magazine was formed in 1968. Provoke: shiso no tame no chohatsuteki shiryo (Provoke: Provocative Materials for Thought) aimed to bolster the photographic community and facilitate artistic dialogue. It also gave this exhibition its name.

Photography Now: China, Japan, Korea features photographs from 13 emerging photographers in China, as well as a selection from Korea. Here's a very small sampling of images from the exhibitions, which both open Sept. 12, and an even smaller sampling of Japanese photography — more of a teaser introduction, if anything.

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