Hiroshi Sugimoto on Time, Extinction, and the Last Photographer

In an interview for Aperture magazine's issue 264, 'Stop Time,' Hiroshi Sugimoto discusses his lifelong exploration of photography, time, and extinction. Born in Tokyo in 1948, Sugimoto studied economics before moving to Los Angeles to study photography at Art Center. He later moved to New York, where he opened Mingei Gallery in SoHo in 1979, selling Japanese antiques and connecting with leading Conceptual artists. His practice spans series like Diorama (1975–ongoing), Seascapes (1980–ongoing), and Lightning Fields (2007–25), often using long exposures and experimental techniques. He has built Enoura Observatory in Japan as a culmination of his work, and his upcoming exhibition at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo is titled 'Extinction,' reflecting on the potential disappearance of black-and-white silver-gelatin prints and civilization itself. Sugimoto also discusses his fascination with Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and the origins of photography, and his belief that he may be 'the last photographer' in a post-photography era.