“From the moment I was born into this world until today, I have been living with time,” said Masayoshi Sukita. “One day, when I was in high school, my mother bought me a camera and I discovered that there is another ‘time.’ Photography is the ‘eternal time.’ I believe that the power of photography is to mark time. I wonder how much more ‘eternal time’ I can acquire in my remaining time...”
For the past six decades, Sukita, who turns 83 today, has produced some of the most eye-catching and memorable photographs ever—from the iconic cover image for David Bowie’s album Heroes, kicking off a four-decade partnership between the two artists, to images of other counterculture-movement icons like Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan, David Sylvan, and those of the Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train.
On June 14, Sukita and ACC Art Books will release Sukita: Eternity, a coffee table book of his most memorable photographs, from his early days as a high-fashion photographer in Tokyo to his collaborations with some of the most legendary musical artists of the 20th century.
Here are a selection of images from Sukita: Eternity, available exclusively at The Daily Beast:
David Bowie wearing a Kansai Yamamoto costume at RCA Studio, NYC, 1973.
Sukita
David Bowie at RCA Studio, NYC, 1973.
Sukita
David Bowie at RCA Studio, NYC, 1973.
Sukita
Iggy Pop at Harajuku Studio in Tokyo, 1977.
Sukita
Marc Bolan (cover of Melody Maker) at Pelling+Cross studio in London, 1972.
Sukita
Yellow Magic Orchestra's Solid State Survivor album cover in Tokyo, 1979.
Sukita
The B-52's in Tokyo, 1979.
Sukita
Tomoyasu Hotei in Tokyo, 2002.
Sukita