You can almost feel the steam beading on your skin, when you see Soo Burnell’s photos of Japan’s bathhouses.
These are the most recent works from the Edinburgh artist, whose equally watery and Wes Anderson-esque subjects have also included Scotland’s grand Victorian pools.
To experience her most recent 40 images in person, visit Saorsa Gallery in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge, from May 3-11, as part of their At the Onsen, In Search of Stillness exhibition.
We asked Burnell to tell us more.
Why did you decide to visit Japan?
I’ve wanted to visit for as long as I can remember, as I’ve been fascinated with Japanese culture and the beautiful architecture, shrines and gardens. I was intrigued to dive deeper into the Japanese art of bathing, and to gain a greater understanding of the traditions around bathing and the importance of these healing waters.
How long was the project in the planning?
This collection took just over a year of planning. I spent a long time researching bathhouses and selecting the ones I wanted to visit. I was connected through friends at website Accidentally Wes Anderson to a wonderful Japanese man called Hiro who assisted me with the entire production, staying with us on the shoots and translating where necessary. I couldn’t have done this without him.
I was working with incredible models who truly understood my vision. One of the biggest challenges we faced was the heat. We were shooting in November and it was still 30C outside, inside the hot bathhouse was absolutely roasting too, and the water was 42C-46C. It was hard for the models to sit in there for any length of time. We had to get them out to cool down between each shot.
But it was a great experience. I loved meeting the families who have owned and run these bathhouses - in some cases for centuries – and hearing their history. I will treasure the memories.
What were the seven destinations that you chose?
We started in the mountains of Nakkanojō in the Gunma Prefecture, visiting the historic onsen at Sekizenkan before travelling higher into the mountains to shoot at Hōshi Onsen and Tamaki Onsen at Chojukan. We then travelled to Tokyo where I photographed at four very different sento: Goshikiyu, an urban bathhouse redesigned by architect Kentaro Imai; Unsuisen, a traditional sento famous for the twin mural that spans the men’s and women’s bathing spaces; Mitakeyu, a traditional bathhouse in Minami-Ku; and Koganeyu, a contemporary sento redesigned by architect Jo Nagasaka. The final destination was the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum at Kodakara-yu, and a bathhouse dating from 1929 that was relocated to the museum.
What's different about Japanese bathing culture?
I was able to ask this question of the owners of a few of the bathhouses, and it was fascinating to learn about the wider context and history. Japanese bathing culture has been rooted in daily life for centuries and it isn’t only about the act of bathing. Hot springs such as the onsen at Sekizenkan, Hōshi Onsen and Tamaki Onsen have long been looked on as places for healing the body and mind. Historically, people would stay at an onsen for some time to treat illnesses or injuries. Now they’re seen as places for healing as well as for rest and relaxation.
Nobuko Ikeda, the owner of Unsuien sento in Tokyo, described how, historically, most homes didn’t have baths and sento were an integral part of daily life. They were a local community space where people met with their neighbours and friends. The sento was a place where children learned how to be part of their community. Now, with a younger generation, they are places to relax and unwind from the busy pace of modern life.
Why do you think water is so therapeutic, and is that understood better in Japan?
I think it’s understood differently, given this historic context, whether you’re considering the bathhouse as a place of healing or as a place of community. This feeling of community was also my experience when growing up and going swimming in my local pool in Edinburgh. Whether you’re swimming or bathing, there’s something deeply relaxing about this experience of being in water. It helps you switch off and unwind.
The architecture and light are quite different from the Scottish pools you've photographed. Did that give the photos a different feel?
There are similarities in the use of pastel colours throughout the interiors, but the architecture is really different. Again, I was working with geometry and blocks of colours, as with the Victorian pools, but then with lots of incredible murals and art that shifted the feel of these spaces. And yes, we were lucky to have some really beautiful soft light to work with. I think that helped create an almost dream-like quality to some of these scenes.
Have you exhibited at the Saorsa Gallery before?
I held my first Poolside exhibition at Saorsa in 2018 and this collection will be my fourth show there. I love this gallery. It is a fantastic spot right in the heart of Stockbridge in Edinburgh, and I have lots of good memories from the times I’ve spent there over the years.
Is it a selling exhibition, and have you found there’s a particular interest in any of the specific photos? Which do people resonate with?
It is a selling exhibition and people seem to be really fascinated with this series. I’ve had an overwhelming response. People are drawn to different things, which I always find fascinating too. Some people love the incredible historic onsens and the mood of these spaces, while others love the pastel tones and those decorative elements I mentioned in the urban sento.
Which images are you most happy with?
It’s hard to separate the work from the experience we had there - the things we saw, the fun we had with our lovely models, and the kindness of the owners of the bathhouses. Creating this collection was possibly the best experience of my life and certainly one I’ll never forget. It was about everything: the journey, the beauty of the landscape; travelling up into the mountains to shoot at Sekizenkan and Chojukan, with mist hugging the land and the tall cedar forests that lined the road. There was so much beauty in this entire journey, and when I look at this collection I can remember and feel these experiences all over again.
I certainly have a few of my own favourites, including the piece the exhibition is named after, At the Onsen, and also A Room Apart, both of which were photographed in the historic onsen at Sekizenkan.
How has your work evolved over the last few years?
I am more connected now to what places mean to people, to that sense of nostalgia that comes through in my more recent work. That connection was always there from my earliest Poolside photographs, but it’s something that’s evolved naturally. I also enjoyed creating characters for the scenes, and I think that’s become more evident in recent collections, especially in my work from last year in The Hague, where I was artist in residence at the De Plesman hotel.
Where's next, on your global swimming pool adventures?
I’m currently planning a big production for the end of this year or possibly the start of next year, but I can’t say what it is yet. However, it is going to be another fascinating location, with a different aesthetic, and I’m very excited about it.
Saorsa Gallery, 8 Deanhaugh Street, Edinburgh, www.saorsa-art.com, www.soo-burnell.com
