Tote bags are something that many people use on a daily basis.
They treat these tote bags as a medium and disseminate art to the world through collaborations with various artists.
The second installment is by photographer Shingo Wakagi
INTERVIEW
Shingo Wakagi, who is expanding his scope of work beyond his work as a photographer to include film production, picture book publishing, and bookstore management, has collaborated with ROOTOTE , a brand that specializes in tote bags. The tote bag will be an art piece and a companion for "fun outings." It is a limited edition item that features Wakagi's work on the " ruck-tote ," created by design office nendo and ROOTOTE . It has also been decided that a new photo book will be born as a product of this chemical reaction.
We spoke to Wakagi at BOOKS AND PRINTS , the bookstore he runs, about his latest photo book, " England – Hawaii ," and the production process of the collaborative tote bag.
Q: What is the concept of the photo book?
I feel like this photo book came about as a result of my collaboration with ROOTOTE.
When I was selecting photos for the collaboration tote, I noticed that there were a lot of photos from England and Hawaii, which are slightly different areas from Manchester, Liverpool, and London.
When I was wondering about the connection between England and Hawaii, I happened to be reading a book about Captain Cook. Cook was the man who discovered Hawaii, and he was British. I thought, "Oh, this is quite interesting."
I don't think he would have imagined back then how different England and Hawaii are today, so I decided to create a photo book with the theme " Dedicate to James Cook. "
Cook is the epitome of someone who goes out, has adventures, and discovers new things, right? I thought that this suited ROOTOTE 's theme of " Fun Outing! " quite well.
QWhat will the finished collaboration tote look like?
Until now, I had the image that canvas tote bags were thick and heavy. But in reality, they were very light, which was great. Also, they were just the right size for me. It may be because of my build, but I like that they can hold all the books I want to put in.
BOOKS AND PRINTS is a shop that specializes in photo books, so many of the books we handle are A4 or larger. If it's too small, you can't fit the book in it. Also, the bottom gusset is good. It fits just right when you put a book in it. The "loop pocket" on the side can hold a plastic bottle or a water bottle, so I think it's very useful for daily use.
Also, I actually really like carrying my bag diagonally. I always carry my camera diagonally. That way I can run and I can take out a lot of things quickly ( laughs ). I don't want to put strain on my neck, and if I carry it on my shoulder, I might drop my camera. There's an aesthetic to carrying it diagonally. The shoulder strap of this tote is made of a soft material like a backpack, and it fits well.
For some reason, most cross-body bags are black. There are flashy ones, but they give the impression of being too flashy. With photo prints, you can use them in a variety of ways. I like the novelty of it being something you know but don't.
Q: Please tell us about the three works that became the collaborative tote bags.
This was taken in the Old Town area near Hilo, the center of the Big Island. It's a place I've visited many times for projects like " Relax " and " Coyote ." I think it gives a completely different impression to Hawaii as a resort, but there are a lot of Japanese people here, and the old Hawaiian townscape is interesting. Also, the color of the sky is great. The color of the sky is different depending on the country and the place. I hope you can get a feel for the color of the air and things like that.
This was taken in a town called Honokaa, just outside of Hilo. It's an antique shop right next to the movie theater where the movie "Honokaa Boy" was set. I chose it because I thought the shadows would be nice. The photo book also includes some photos taken inside the movie theater.
This photo was taken while traveling by train from Manchester to Liverpool. I was also on the train and took this photo at the moment we passed each other. The reason I chose this photo is because the purple color was pretty ( lol )
I think the good thing about photography is that the colored material is on the outside, and by cutting it out you can use it like a color pattern. Even if it's difficult to create the color you want or think of a combination, if you can cut out something that suddenly appears in front of you, you can incorporate it into a tote bag. It's really interesting.
Q How did you come across ROOTOTE ?
Until recently, my father would hand-draw pictures or write "Welcome" or "Welcome" on the paper bags for BOOKS AND PRINTS. He was good at adding pictures to New Year's cards, so it just started. They were one-of-a-kind, so they gradually became popular, and many people started coming to buy them just for the paper bags. We continued doing that for a long time.
One day, I noticed a collaborative tote bag between Andy Warhol and ROOTOTE that BOOKS AND PRINTS was carrying, and I thought that if I asked my dad to draw on a cloth tote bag, we could create a simple tote that was uniquely BOOKS AND PRINTS , so I asked him for a consultation and that's how it all began.
That was quite well received.
In 2021, I first worked with ROOTOTE on the publication of " Youngtree diary " by releasing a tote bag set. This is my second collaboration.
Q: What do you consider to be a “fun outing”?
I think I have a lot of opportunities to travel, and I think it's all an extension of a walk. The roads around me, and the roads I've never been to before, are fun, aren't they? It's like an extension of a walk that goes on forever.
Even when I travel by plane, I don't take suitcases or anything like that. I go out with something like a sports bag, a carry-on backpack or a tote. Because I can put anything in it and go out without a camera bag. I've never been to the North or South Pole, so I don't know, but if I go to Africa or Greenland, I want to go as close to my usual clothes as possible. When I'm doing photography, there's not much of a boundary between work and play. I want to keep my usual self anytime, anywhere, and experience and discover. That's why I think this tote is great because it fits my body and I can walk anywhere in it.
If you think about it, Captain Cook's adventure was also a "fun outing" for him. Even while wandering between life and death, he had the pleasure of discovering something he had never seen before. Now, after many years, we can go to England and Hawaii with a tote bag in hand and feel like we're taking a walk. And I think that's also a "fun outing."
QFinally , how would you like people to enjoy the collaboration tote?
You can use it however you like, and it's not something that you have to choose the time, place , and occasion for. I think tote bags are full of possibilities. I think the interesting thing about them is how freely you can use them, so I hope you'll use them however you like.
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While valuing his own style, Wakagi is expanding the scope of his activities beyond various borders. He is also preparing for the publication of the documentary style magazine "Youngtree Annual" within the year.
The completed "Shingo Wakagi × ROOTOTE ruck-tote" will be released as a set with the photo book "England – Hawaii". It will be sold exclusively by advance order at ROOTOTE GALLERY_EDITION and BOOKS AND PRINTS. The preorder period is from July 20th to August 17th. The photo book that comes with the tote will be autographed by Wakagi himself and is scheduled to be shipped in late October.
At BOOKS AND PRINTS in Hamamatsu, a sample exhibition of art tote bags will be held from July 22 to August 15. Visitors are invited to experience for themselves Wakagi's unique worldview and the finished collaborative tote bag.
BOOKS AND PRINTS
KAGIYA Building 201, 229-13, Tamachi, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture (Closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays)
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PROFILE
Shingo Wakagi
Born in Hamamatsu City in 1971. Graduated from the Department of Photography at Rochester Institute of Technology. Alongside his work as a photographer, he is expanding his range of activities to include film production, picture book publishing, and bookstore management.
From 2004 to 2008 , he published the documentary-style magazine " youngtree press ," which was written with photos and writings of ordinary people. In 2021 , he republished it as " youngtree diary " for the first time in 13 years.
Web Site: https://shingowakagi.net/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shingowakagi/
