Explores the interconnected relationships of photography, science, and the history of art. Hiroshi Sugimoto was born in Japan in 1948 and now divides his time between Japan and New York. Since the 1970s he has investigated issues of time, empirical reality, and metaphysics through his photography. His main series have been "Theaters, Seascapes, Dioramas, Wax Museums" (Madame Tussaud's wax figures), and "Portraits," all of which explore temporal existence and our relationship to history. His work is held in the collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the Metropolitan Museum, among many others. In 2001 he won the prestigious Hasselblad Foundation Award. This book is dedicated to Sugimoto's last and hitherto unpublished series, and accompanied an exhibition at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain. 52 illustrations, 8 in color.