Hiroshi Sugimoto: 'I'm borrowing important scientists' experiences'

A retrospective of Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto has opened at London’s Hayward Gallery.

The exhibition showcases the artist’s works that draw inspiration from science. Examples include the series Conceptual Forms and Mathematical Models, in which Sugimoto photographs mathematical shapes. In Lightning Fields, he draws on the work of Michael Faraday and others, bringing a 400,000 volt Van de Graaff generator into his darkroom and using it to expose photosensitive film.

On show too is Sugimoto’s latest project, Opticks. Inspired by Issac Newton’s seminal work of the same name, Sugimoto built a prism to split sunlight into its constituent parts, photographing the results. The primary hues of red, blue and yellow are striking, yet subtle in tone, and in the bright, sunlit gallery, the images are a great way to contemplate physics, photography and the inquisitive scientific mind. “I’m just borrowing many, many important scientists’ experiences to be studied again and see where I can go,” says Sugimoto.

Time Machine is on show at Hayward Gallery, London, until 7 January 2024.