I tried translating two of the Chinese articles (on different sites) using google translate and ended up with these 2 English versions. I posted only the beginning of the article (the rest of the story deals with a behind the scenes biography-story of a sex tourist in Thailand). These translations are not quite accurate (remove the erotic icing?) but you can get a feel for the message told. What is kind of cool for me is that I have been a fan of Araki for almost 20 years and when I studied his work I sort of came to the same conclusion as the journalist. I felt that Araki's prostitution photos sort of made it all seem so erotic where as I had already visited Thailand and had seen first hand what the truth was. I remember thinking that the reality I saw was so much different than was in Araki's books so I decided to shoot what I felt, which was basically the opposite of eroticism. The sex scene world in Thai is filled with sadness and desperation, so that's the kind of photos I made. Here is one of the original Chinese story links and the two google translations.
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1021913
Translation #1
Nobuyoshi Araki (Araki Nobuyoshi, Japanese photographers, artists) under the lens is the joy of Japanese prostitutes, indulge. They set grotesque and delicious in one, like the human body do sashimi, challenging the limits of the sensory world. Canadian photographer Gary Baum (Gerry Yaum) Thai prostitutes are under the lens completely removed the erotic icing. They stood stiffly in front of the camera lens, their faces expressionless, they are each part of the body, such as ultra-high-precision scanners are carefully scanning over it, they're just covered with a layer of plastic film, and then the bar code printed on a black and white , can be sold. Baum's work, pulled out of the men on the porn industry, romantic imagination, prostitutes are to maximize the reduction of product: very cruel. In a way, than Nobuyoshi Araki's work closer to the nature of the sex industry.
http://www.inmediahk.net/node/1021913
Translation #1
Nobuyoshi Araki (Araki Nobuyoshi, Japanese photographers, artists) under the lens is the joy of Japanese prostitutes, indulge. They set grotesque and delicious in one, like the human body do sashimi, challenging the limits of the sensory world. Canadian photographer Gary Baum (Gerry Yaum) Thai prostitutes are under the lens completely removed the erotic icing. They stood stiffly in front of the camera lens, their faces expressionless, they are each part of the body, such as ultra-high-precision scanners are carefully scanning over it, they're just covered with a layer of plastic film, and then the bar code printed on a black and white , can be sold. Baum's work, pulled out of the men on the porn industry, romantic imagination, prostitutes are to maximize the reduction of product: very cruel. In a way, than Nobuyoshi Araki's work closer to the nature of the sex industry.
Translation #2
Thailand's tourism industry story: My "accompany prostitute 'diary
One of Thailand's tourism industry of the story: Her summer, his evening
(Netherlands Online Special Contribution) If Nobuyoshi Araki (Araki Nobuyoshi, Japanese photographers, artists) lens under Japanese prostitute is joy, indulge, set in one of the grotesque and delicious, like the human body do sashimi, challenging limit the sensory world, then Canadian photographer Gary Baum (Gerry Yaum) Thai prostitutes under the lens is completely removed this layer erotic icing. They stood stiffly in front of the lens, face expressionless, like every part of the body is ultra-high-precision scanners scan too careful as hair dagger now, only a thin layer of plastic film cast, and then printed on a black and white bar code, then can be sold. Obviously, Baum's works take away the people's romantic imagination pornography, prostitutes are to maximize the reduction of goods, although very cruel, but in a way, than Nobuyoshi Araki's work is closer to the sex industry essence.
(Netherlands Online Special Contribution) If Nobuyoshi Araki (Araki Nobuyoshi, Japanese photographers, artists) lens under Japanese prostitute is joy, indulge, set in one of the grotesque and delicious, like the human body do sashimi, challenging limit the sensory world, then Canadian photographer Gary Baum (Gerry Yaum) Thai prostitutes under the lens is completely removed this layer erotic icing. They stood stiffly in front of the lens, face expressionless, like every part of the body is ultra-high-precision scanners scan too careful as hair dagger now, only a thin layer of plastic film cast, and then printed on a black and white bar code, then can be sold. Obviously, Baum's works take away the people's romantic imagination pornography, prostitutes are to maximize the reduction of goods, although very cruel, but in a way, than Nobuyoshi Araki's work is closer to the sex industry essence.
