HYPER PEOPLE: Jennifer Langridge

How does Japan inspire you as a creative person?

From an early age I have had a healthy fascination with the unusual or bizarre. So much of Japanese culture, entertainment and habit seems strange to the Western world and as a child I somundefinedehow found this reassuring. As the years passed I slowly learned more about Japan’s history and culture, I went through a phase where I was fascinated by the Geisha culture and everything that went with it. The concept of ‘self as art’ is something I am still inspired and intrigued by today, especially with regard to modern Japanese fashions. Whilst at university I discovered the films of Studio Ghibli and feature-length anime and wrote my dissertation on the Pokemon phenomenon. In more recent years I have drawn inspiration from a wide range of Japanese culture from my Asylum series – heavily influenced by the Konami RPG Silent Hill – to an upcoming series of Cosplayer Portraits.

Are you a fan of any Japanese photographers in particular?

Masahisa Fukase has always held a fascination for me, especially Karasu, a series shot after his wife left him. Araki is one of the most important Japanese artists/photographers in recent history and I find a lot of his work very inspirational. On a more commercial note I love the Cosplay Showcase app that has just been released by Nobutsugu Sugiyama – the photography is a really beautiful and clear documentation of contemporary costume play.

What were your highlights of Hyper Japan?

View Jennifer Langridge's HJ 2012 photo gallery

One of my highlights was the abundance of beautiful and truly creative fashion, I found it both exciting and visually fascinating to see so many young people dedicating so much time and passion to their outfits. It goes back to the concept of ‘self-as-art’ again, the intricacy and detail that had clearly been dedicated to various outfits from Gothic Lolita’s to Harajuku to Dolly Kei. I found it both exciting and inspirational to see so this creativity proudly displayed and celebrated by so many. It has in fact inspired me to undertake a personal project of my own featuring girls who are involved in Lolita fashion. I am casting over the next few months so if anyone is interested please feel free to get in touch. Send Jennifer an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you are interested in being part of this project.

What would you most like to visit in Japan and why?

If I get the opportunity to visit Japan I would love to see the sakura, ideally in Kyoto. I would really enjoy doing some street photography in Tokyo and visiting the islands of Okinawa and Ryukyu-shoto. I would have to visit The Studio Ghibli museum and eat a lots of ramen and sushi too. The thing I would most like to see in Japan is an exhibition of my own work! I have always wanted to display a selection of either my music photography and/or personal creative projects in Tokyo. It is something I still hope to achieve one day.

All images (c) Jennifer Langridge

Jennifer Langridge

Having worked as a professional photographer for nearly ten years, Jenny’s most prolific work is with bands/musicians where she works under the moniker ‘Jenny hardcore’. She is a huge anime fan and particularly enjoys the works of Studio Ghibli. Her creative photography is often heavily influenced by some of the seminal computer games created and produced by the Konami Corporation. It is her dream to one day visit Japan and photograph the Hanami festival.

www.jennyhardcore.co.uk
www.jlangridge.wordpress.com
 

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