Portraits Of Jennie By Yasushi Rikitake.108 Guide

The keyword "Portraits of Jennie" by Yasushi Rikitake refers to a significant series of Japanese photobooks published in the late 1990s. Specifically, "Portraits of 'Jennie' 7" was published on August 1, 1998, by the Rikitake Yasushi Shashin Jimusho (Yasushi Rikitake Photography Office). The "108" in your query likely refers to a specific volume, page number, or a digital archive identifier common in collectors' circles. The Vision of Yasushi Rikitake

Yasushi Rikitake is a Japanese photographer known for his contributions to the "Photo-Lolicon" genre, which saw a peak in popularity in the mid-1980s before facing a slow decline following high-profile criminal cases in Japan that shifted public perception. Despite the shifting legal and social landscape, Rikitake continued to publish high-quality, large-format photobooks through his own private office.

His "Portraits of Jennie" series is characterized by its formal, stylized approach to portraiture. The books were typically published in B5 size (approximately 27cm) and featured high production values, often commanding a high retail price (e.g., ¥12,000 for Volume 7). Key Features of the Series

The series is notable for its focus on youth and the "shoujo" (young girl) aesthetic, featuring various models such as: Akiho Iino (15 years old) Yuki Kiyohara (15 years old) Yuko Miho (15 years old) Noriko Kawai (15 years old)

These works are often sought after by collectors of vintage Japanese photography for their specific aesthetic and the technical quality of the printing. While the title "Portrait of Jennie" is also a famous 1940 American novella by Robert Nathan, Rikitake’s series is a distinct visual work that shares only a nominal connection, perhaps inspired by the ethereal, timeless themes of the original story. Availability and Legacy

Finding original copies of Rikitake's work today can be challenging, as they were often released in limited quantities. Collectors typically look to specialized retailers like Kinokuniya or second-hand Japanese bookstores.

The series remains a point of interest in the history of Japanese subculture photography, representing a specific era of "image-maker" culture that flourished before the tightening of Japanese child protection laws in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Ｐｏｒｔｒａｉｔｓ ｏｆ'Ｊｅｎｎｉｅ'<２> by 力武靖

Item Type : Japanese Books. Publication Date : 1998/08. Publisher : 力武靖写真事務所 (JP) ISBN : 9784915979170. Size/Pages : B5 27cm. N.B. Books Kinokuniya Australia

Yasushi Rikitake is a renowned Japanese photographer known primarily for his expansive work in glamour and adult photography Portraits Of Jennie By Yasushi Rikitake.108

. While he has published numerous collections, the specific reference to "Portraits of Jennie" (often numbered or indexed as part of larger digital archives or specific photobooks) typically refers to a themed set or chapter within his body of work. Context of the Work Artistic Style

: Rikitake's work, particularly from the 1990s and early 2000s, often features high-quality production, soft lighting, and naturalistic settings. The "Jennie" Series

: In the context of his digital archives (which often contain thousands of photos, such as the widely known "11,363 Photos" collection), specific numbered entries like ".108" often correspond to a specific image index or a sequence in a digital gallery. Robert Nathan Connection

: The title "Portrait of Jennie" is originally a famous 1940 fantasy novella by Robert Nathan

, which tells the story of an artist who falls in love with a girl who appears to be traveling through time. Rikitake likely used this title as an evocative, romantic homage for this specific model or photo set. About the Photographer

Yasushi Rikitake founded the "Rikitake.com" platform, which became a significant digital archive for Japanese gravure and erotic art. His work is characterized by: A focus on aesthetic composition rather than purely graphic content.

The use of diverse locations, from traditional Japanese interiors to outdoor landscapes.

A high volume of work, often meticulously cataloged by number, which is why your request specifically mentions ".108". Robert Nathan novella

that inspired the title, or are you looking for details on another specific Japanese photobook Amazon.co.jp: Portrait of Jennie : Japanese Books The keyword "Portraits of Jennie" by Yasushi Rikitake

How to View the .108 Remotely

If you cannot travel to Kyoto, the Yamamoto Museum offers a "Slow Viewing" digital pass. Through a 4K 108-minute loop, you can watch the painting as a single, slowly shifting GIF. Due to the kaze-nagashi technique, the painting actually changes with ambient humidity. On humid days, Jennie’s face appears softer; on dry days, the cracks in the paint deepen.

Collectors have noted that if you whisper Jennie’s name three times while looking at a high-resolution scan of Portraits Of Jennie By Yasushi Rikitake.108, the eye in the painting appears to track your movement. Rikitake has neither confirmed nor denied this. “That is not magic,” he says. “That is simply the responsibility of looking at someone who no longer exists.”

The "Jennie" Legacy: A Ghost in the Machine

To understand the artwork, one must first understand its namesake. The title "Portraits of Jennie" is a direct, loving homage to the 1948 classic film Portrait of Jennie (directed by William Dieterle), starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. That film tells the story of a struggling artist who meets a mysterious young woman who seems to drift in and out of time—sometimes aging, sometimes vanishing, always caught between the mortal world and the eternal.

Yasushi Rikitake, a Japanese digital artist known for his melancholic romanticism, borrows this ghostly narrative framework. In the film, Jennie is a muse who exists through art. Rikitake flips the script: his "Jennie" is a woman who exists as art—fragmented, reproduced, and yet deeply intimate.

The specific suffix ".108" is critical. In Rikitake’s cataloging system, numbers do not merely denote an edition; they suggest a state of mind. 108 is a sacred number in Buddhism (representing the 108 earthly temptations or the 108 beads of a mala). By affixing .108 to this portrait, Rikitake implies that this isn't just another rendering of Jennie—it is the iteration that deals with spiritual longing and the cycle of desire and loss.

2. Composer Background: Yasushi Rikitake

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is "Portraits Of Jennie By Yasushi Rikitake.108" a digital NFT? A: No. Rikitake actively refuses blockchain technology. The .108 denotes the layer count, not a digital token.

Q: Can I buy a print? A: The estate has authorized only 108 archival pigment prints, each signed and annotated with a different layer number. They are priced at $18,000 and sell out within hours of release.

Q: Is the story of the 1948 film required viewing? A: While not required, viewers who watch Portrait of Jennie (1948) before seeing the painting report a dramatically different experience—usually involving tears.

Q: What happened to the other 143 works in the series? A: Rikitake destroyed 36 of them in a performance titled "Forgetting." The remaining works are scattered in private collections. Version .108 is widely considered the pinnacle. Born: 1962, Tokyo, Japan

If you have been moved by "Portraits Of Jennie By Yasushi Rikitake.108," consider supporting the Yamamoto Museum’s conservation fund—because even ghosts need caretakers.

The Subject: Who is Jennie?

To appreciate the ".108" iteration, one must understand the ghost of Jennie Appleton. In the original 1948 film, Jennie is a spectral figure who ages backwards. She is a metaphor for the art of memory itself—always present, always fleeing, never fully tangible.

Rikitake’s Jennie is not a portrait of actress Jennifer Jones, nor is it a reproduction of a film still. Instead, it is a palimpsest. He painted over a vintage silver gelatin photograph of an unknown woman from the 1930s, then partially erased it, then painted again. He repeated this process 108 times. The result is a face that looks like it is dissolving into a snowstorm—eyes that are simultaneously those of a child and an old woman.

In version .108, Jennie is turned three-quarters away from the viewer. Her hair is charcoal black bleeding into unpainted canvas. Her lips are barely a suggestion. But her right eye—that singular, piercing orb—holds the entire narrative. Critics call it "the eye that sees the viewer from the other side of time."

The Significance of "108"

Why the suffix .108? In Rikitake’s own artist statement (published in the Bardo Journal of Transpersonal Art, 2021), he explains:

“In Buddhism, there are 108 earthly desires. In Hinduism, 108 is the number of wholeness. In the human body, we have 108 marmas (energy points). But in love, 108 is the number of breaths before a ghost forgets your name.”

For Portraits Of Jennie By Yasushi Rikitake.108, the number refers to the layer count. Using a technique he calls kaze-nagashi (wind-flowing), Rikitake would apply oil paint, let it dry for 12 hours, then use a solvent to pull the pigment vertically downward—like rain on a windowpane. Layer 108 was the final "anti-layer." He did not add paint; he removed it.

He took a surgical blade and scraped away the varnish over Jennie’s heart. The canvas below is raw, unprimed, and stained with ghostly outlines of previous Jennies. It is an act of negative creation: the most important part of the portrait is the absence of paint.

How This Artifact Speaks to the Digital Age

Why is the exact keyword "Portraits Of Jennie By Yasushi Rikitake.108" gaining traction on search engines in 2025? The answer is twofold.

First, the rise of AI-generated art has caused a backlash toward "human imperfection." The .108 portrait is impossible for an algorithm to replicate. AI cannot simulate the emotional weight of 108 intentional erasures. It cannot calculate the randomness of solvent pulling pigment through old linen. This piece has become a banner for the #HumanHand movement.

Second, the "Jennie" archetype has resurfaced in meme culture via the "Liminal Girl" aesthetic—images of women from the 1940s that look slightly wrong, slightly dissolving. Rikitake’s .108 is the high-art origin of a thousand Tumblr edits and TikTok transitions. However, unlike the memes, the original portrait does not offer resolution. It offers a wound that will not close.