POLE TO POLE Winds Connecting the Arctic and Antarctic

Naoki Ishikawa's first photo book, "POLE TO POLE: The Wind Connecting the Polar Regions," documents his nine-month journey traversing the Earth from the Arctic to the Antarctic as Japan's representative in the international "POLE TO POLE" project, which took place from 2000 to 2001. This book captures the grand trajectory of a human-powered journey connecting the polar regions during the transition to a new century.

Eight young people from seven countries departed from the North Magnetic Pole, traveling south through the Americas on foot, skis, kayaks, and bicycles. The photographs go beyond a simple record of exploration, instead reflecting the shifting perspectives experienced during the journey: bodies moving across ice fields, landscapes of cities and settlements encountered between travels, the faces of companions sharing the journey, and snippets of daily life on ships and roads. The book also impressively conveys how the journey intertwined with society through activities like tree planting, clean-up operations, and presentations at schools in various locations.

It's also noteworthy that this book was shot on 35mm positive film, before Ishikawa transitioned to using medium format cameras and negative film. While it possesses the sense of movement and distance from the land that characterize Ishikawa's later works, there's a more improvisational and lighthearted perspective, making it a somewhat rare work in that sense. This collection is a fascinating work that not only vividly conveys the intense experience of traversing the Earth but also offers insight into Naoki Ishikawa's origins.

[Title] POLE TO POLE: The Wind Connecting the Polar Regions
[Publisher] Chuo Koron Shinsha
[Publication Date] October 10, 2003 (First Edition)
[Page Count] Unpaginated
[Size] Approx. 217*288*16mm / 893g
[Format] Softcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] POLE TO POLE KYOKUKEN WO TSUNAGU KAZE
[Author/Editor] Written by Naoki Ishikawa, Edited and Constructed by Hisako Motō, Designed by Kei Sasaki
[Printing] Dai Nippon Printing / Printing and Binding
[ISBN] 412003447X
[Condition] Used [5] Good (Slipcase: slight creasing, light fading, minor stains; Obi: slight fading on spine, minor tearing; Book: light fading on spine, minor age-related fading on edges)
[Accessories] Slipcase, Obi
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibition] 2003 "for circumpolar stars" epsite (Tokyo)

Naoki Ishikawa (born 1977)

Born in Tokyo in 1977. Photographer, adventurer, writer.
Graduated from Waseda University's Second Faculty of Letters, then completed a doctoral program in Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts.
With an interest in anthropology and ethnology, he travels the world from remote areas to cities, continuing his creative work, using movement itself as a method of thought and expression.

In 2000, he participated in the international "Pole to Pole" project, traversing the Earth from the Arctic to the Antarctic by human power. This experience became one of the starting points for his early photo book "POLE TO POLE: The Wind Connecting the Polar Regions" and his subsequent activities. Since then, he has produced works focusing on polar regions, islands, mountains, and cities, examining the memory of the land and human endeavors.

His main photo books include "POLAR," "NEW DIMENSION," "Mt. Fuji," "ARCHIPELAGO," "CORONA," "EVEREST," "Marebito," "K2," and "Shishapangma." His numerous written works include "The Last Adventurer," "Creating Constellations on Earth," and "The Last Mountain." He is also known for his unique activities that alternate between physical practice and photographic expression, having summitted all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks, including Mount Everest.

His awards include the Photographic Society of Japan's Newcomer's Award and Artist's Award, the Kodansha Publishing Culture Award, the Domon Ken Award, the Higashikawa Award Special Artist Award, and the Yomiuri Prize for Literature. His major solo exhibitions include those at the Mito Art Tower, Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum, Accademia Carrara (Italy), and Japan House São Paulo. His works are held in collections at institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, and Yokohama Museum of Art.

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