Tomio Seike turned 67 in 2010. His awareness of unavoidable disappearances freed his perception of simple things he would never see again, like the ocean view from his Brighton apartment. Rather than taking an inventory of the beauty of his daily surroundings, he concentrated on the postcard frame in an addictive fashion. A practice that became a ritual, regulating his life, that he would repeat without fail, not in a predictable manner, but whenever he is available. He waits for the picture to present itself, observing the people who come daily to the beach to spend some of their time. He first observes them from a distance, without attention to detail, then discovers their particularities by enlarging them on his computer. He is fascinated by this revelatory step but keeps his distance for the final picture, printed in the small format 24.8 x 37.2 cm like calendar pages you change over time. Time, a motivating element in the series, also contributes to its realization. Tomio Seike occasionally waits hours at his window for nature to contribute to the pose, for the rough waters to calm, for the light to clear, for the sand to make evocative lines. For nature to be beautiful. Beautiful to him, not to everyone. He repeats this endless ritual whenever he has the freedom. Fascinated by the people coming to the beach, enjoying a parallel moment in time before his eyes, he bows to nature, even if the excitement of a few bystanders would push him to take pictures. That is how he defines photography: an activity that requires time, at the risk of not hitting the shutter release before nature is ready.
Tomio Seike is represented by the Hamiltons Gallery, London
