Kōji Taki


Kōji Taki was a Japanese critic and philosopher.

Life and career

Taki graduated with a degree in art history from Tokyo University.
Taki began his professional career as a core figure at the Japanese photography magazine Provoke, which he co-founded and where he worked from 1968 to 1970. He also provided most of the funds for the magazine. However, because of his "aloofness" and greater focus on writing, he was best known as a critical writer rather than a visual artist. Next to art, he also wrote frequently on philosophy, politics and history.

''PROVOKE''

The magazine was founded by Koji Taki and poet Takahiko Okada, and photographers Takuma Nakahira and Yutaka Takanashi, as an attempt to fill the gap between politics and art, and as a result of frustration at the post-war world. Published between 1968 and 1969, only about 1000 copies were originally printed, although various reprints are available today. The images in the magazine pioneered a new grainy or blurry style that contrasted with the Japanese aesthetic at the time and the magazine was strongly criticised. The magazine also had a strong focus on critical writing.

Books