W Eugene Smith in Minamata, Japan
I first became aware of W Eugene Smith's work on a class as an undergraduate. He was an American Photojournalist who arguably pioneered the development of the editorial photo essay. I hope that in this short blog, you will gain an insight into his pioneering work.
Photograph: W Eugene Smith/Life/Getty
As a US soldier in WW2, he served in the American offensive against Japan. He photographed US Marines and Japanese prisoners of war across Saipan, Guam, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was severely injured while capturing the Battle of Okinawa but survived. He returned to New York to work for Life Magazine, ultimately laying the foundations for photo essays with a humanist perspective.
Photograph: W Eugene Smith/Life/Getty
His work on Minimata disease in Japan is how I came to be aware of his photography. Nippon Chisso Corporation was a petrochemical company that was a significant producer of acetaldehyde in the Bay of Minimata, Kyushu, Japan. The company's dumping of mercury into the bay led to the worst natural disaster in Japan's history.
Photograph: W Eugene Smith/Life/Getty
Smith moved to Minimata in 1971 and would stay there for three years fighting with the victims of the disaster. His report 'Minamata words and photographs' co-written with his wife Aileen is perhaps the most famous work over his career.
The disease first discovered in 1956, was caused by mercury pollution. This pollution continued for another twelve years. By the time the company (was forced to) pay compensation on 20 March 1973, 12,000 people had died. How many similar incidents have happened since to which we have turned a blind eye?
Photograph: W Eugene Smith/Life
As a young geographer, I can remember looking through his lens and the story he builds up representing those affected by this terrible disease. The imagery was dark and focused on the community. You can see through the images captured that he shows the victims in such a way as to make the viewer know the context in daily life. His presentation of the story was unique.
Photograph: W Eugene Smith/Life
The images were just as shocking today as they were back in the early '70s. The turning point for the victims came in January 1972. While attending a protest, Smith was beaten violently by the Corporations guards. Public opinion in Japan began to change, and his images started to appear in the Japanese press. He never recovered from his injuries. Life Magazine published his work, titled 'Death flow from a pipe' on 2 June 1972.
Smith & Aileen
His commitment to the story and fighting for the voices unheard is genuinely remarkable. Along with Aileen he meticulously documented the impacts on the local community. His work was a culmination of the thirty years he had spent as a photographer. His experiences had led to him learn how to construct a narrative which would relate to the average person.
On his return to the US, he would go on to write 'Minamata' which highlighted the perils of ecological abuse. It was only in 2004 that the Japanese Supreme Court acknowledged it as an ecological disaster.
Today our world is highly interconnected. Covid-19 spread within weeks and has brought the world to a standstill. Smith's work is just as important as ever. How we treat our home, our planet is as important as ever.