Mao Ishikawa's 'Rogue' at Alison Bradley Projects Explores Intimacy and Politics

The New Yorker reviews Mao Ishikawa's exhibition 'Rogue' at Alison Bradley Projects in New York City, on view through June 13th. The show features over thirty black-and-white photographs spanning four series: 'Red Flower (Akabanaa)' (1975-77), 'Life in Philly' (1986), 'A Port Town Elegy' (1983-86), and 'My Family' (2001-05). Ishikawa, born in 1953 in Okinawa, Japan, studied at the WORKSHOP School of Photography in Tokyo. Her 'Red Flower' series documents Okinawan women working in bars around the U.S. military base Camp Hansen, often fraternizing with Black American servicemen. Ishikawa herself worked in a bar serving Black soldiers during segregation. Thirteen images from 'Red Flower' are included, alongside works from the other series. 'A Port Town Elegy' depicts day laborers and dockworkers in Naha, where Ishikawa owned a bar. The review highlights Ishikawa's ability to capture subjects without cynicism, focusing on intimacy and the role of politics in identity. Key images include a couple in bed, a kissing couple, and a scene outside a bar with protective men flanking a woman. The review also references Ishikawa's first U.S. monograph 'Red Flower' (2017).