The Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Ito spends most nights covering performing-arts events around New York City for the Times. Once his assignment is over, however, Ito begins his own work, photographing the city streets at night with his Leica film camera.
Brought home in a bag, Meeno, Hiroyuki Ito’s cat, was a terror and a delight who brought comfort to Mr. Ito during an illness. Later, their inverted roles were reversed.
Hiroyuki Ito went off to Brazil with dreams of being the next great documentary photographer. He came home tired and sick. The call to join Magnum never came.
There is nothing wishy-washy about Hiroyuki Ito’s street photography. His stark black and white street scenes are full of rhythm and flow — just like the music he listens to on his jaunts about town.
Photography was the last thing on Hiroyuki Ito’s mind when he moved to New York City 20 years ago. Like countless others over the generations, he was entranced by the sound of the city — everything from Talking Heads and Television, John Zorn and John Coltrane or D.J. Kool Herc and Nas.
“Transfer of Guilt” is a collection of grids. Each grid contains four snapshots that were taken in New York between 2006 and 2009. They were all shot in black-and-white film, developed and printed on resin-coated paper before being scanned and assembled into grids.
