Launch Recite Me assistive technology
A black and white close-up of a person’s legs and hips wearing fishnet tights. The figure is curled in a tight, overlapping position.

Daido Moriyama's erotically charged Tights and Lips are utterly timeless

—
Date
16 October 2012

You can’t move in London at the moment without catching site of one of Daido Moriyama’s images plastered to the side of a bus, hanging from a billboard or blowing around a busy street on the cover of a discarded flyer. The man is everywhere. But with two coinciding shows on in the capital at the moment (one at Tate Modern, the other at Michael Hoppen Gallery) it’s hardly surprising.

We posted Moriyama’s work back in June but what better time to revisit some of Moriyama’s finest work Tights and Lips, a striking combination of close-up shots of legs in fine hosiery and street-photographs of lips in high-street advertising that speak of the Americanisation of post-war Japan and the increasing eroticism of photographic advertising. They’re a timeless body of images that never lose their impact no matter how many times you see them. Utterly beautiful stuff.

Tights and Lips is on show at Michael Hoppen Gallery until October 20.

A black and white close-up of a person’s backside and thigh, clad in fishnet tights. The figure is positioned against a dark, plain background.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Tights

A grainy, black and white collage showing a close-up of two fingers crossing. The image is layered over a blurred architectural scene of a city street with balconies.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Lips

A close-up, black and white photograph of fishnet stockings stretched over a body. The fabric creates a repeating grid of small diamonds that curve across the form.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Tights

A black and white close-up of a pair of glossy lips. The surface of the lips reflects a grid of bright lights and the word “GENUINE” in reverse.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Lips

A close-up of a person wearing black fishnet tights. The fabric stretches across their legs, creating a pattern of distorted diamond shapes.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Tights

A black and white close-up of a pair of lips. The lips are glossy and slightly parted, lit from the side to highlight their texture.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Lips

A black and white close-up of fishnet fabric draped in heavy, overlapping folds. The mesh creates a repeating geometric pattern of small diamonds across the curved surfaces.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Tights

A black and white photograph of a display featuring a large, close-up image of glossy lips. To the right, a pair of legs in fishnet stockings stands behind a matching mesh screen.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Lips

A close-up, black and white photograph of a person's backside wearing fishnet tights. The tight mesh creates a repetitive diamond pattern across the curves of the body.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Tights

A grainy, black and white close-up of a person’s lips. The image is high-contrast, highlighting the texture and fine lines of the skin.
Above

Daido Moriyama: Lips

Share Article

About the Author

James Cartwright

—

James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.