Published to commemorate the same-titled exhibition at Canon Gallery S in Tokyo, the book “Dream Boat” comprises photographs by the father-son trio Shunji, Arata and Takeshi Dodo. The title comes from a comparison made by Shunji, the father, who likens life to a journey towards a distant shore (one’s dreams and lifegoals), a journey each and all of us have to make on our own, paddling away in little boats across unknown waters. For the Dodos, photography then is a means of recording this process; this is what drives their desire to keep shooting, documenting, creating.

“Dream Boat” begins with photographs by Shunji Dodo, from his earliest photographs taken in his 20s to more recent works, before his chapter ends and the baton is passed to his sons Arata and then Takeshi. While each of the three photographers has their own visual style and their own themes and subjects, the commonalities that tie their oeuvres together are undeniable. 110 photographs, taken over a period of 50 years by three artists of two generations: from the early protest photography of Shunji Dodo to Arata Dodo’s documentary images taken in Japan and all over the world and Takeshi Dodo’s highly perceptive, succinct portraits, landscapes and momentary snapshots.

Canon Gallery S have produced a 23-minute long video about the exhibition featuring appearances by Shunji and Arata Dodo (only available in Japanese).